


Growing Up

by TweakerWolf (Frostbyte)



Series: Brothers [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Erica, Alive Laura Hale, Alive Vernon Boyd, Bi!Allison, Bisexual Female Character, Brothers, Canonical Character Death, Close Brothers, Deaf background character, F/M, Gen, Original Character(s), Scared Isaac, The Hale Fire, eventual werewolves, family love, fan vid embedded, non-canon plot, semi-mute OC, use of ASL
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-18
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-02-26 03:35:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 152,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2636525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostbyte/pseuds/TweakerWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Follow up to my story Brothers: The boys were six when they'd been thrown together, the three of them becoming family. Now they are in high school and having a hard enough time with puberty, what happens when one of the gets Bit? Starts where S1 starts, branches off from Canon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Here and There

**Author's Note:**

> Here are some scenes about Stiles, Scott, and Isaac growing up, as a follow up from my story Brothers. Eventually as the boys get older, the story will progress as a regular story, but the first few years are just bits and pieces to show how they've come to care for each other.  
> Awesome fanvid my editor made for me based on the relationship between the boys!!! 

**Age 7:**

Isaac woke up with a scream in his throat, room dark. It wasn't supposed to be dark- where did the night light go? He sat upright, hoping his eyes would adjust to the dark space. It was like the freezer all over again; Isaac started to whimper, he hated the freezer. Had he been bad?

"Isaac? You okay?" a voice mumbled from beside him.

Scott, that was Scott. If Scott was here with him, that meant he wasn't in the freezer, Scott never did anything bad. He was in the bedroom, safe, not the freezer, he chanted that over and over in his head for a few minutes. He felt a hand reach out and squeeze his own and was comforted. "The light went out," Isaac mumbled, not wanting to wake up Stiles.

Scott sat up and rubbed his eyes, finally noticing just how dark the room was. "Oh, maybe the light broke," Scott said. He carefully climbed out of the bed and turned on the overhead light. "I'll tell Mommy," Scott offered, unplugging the nightlight from the wall and opening the door.

As the bulb chased away the dark, Isaac felt the knot of tension in his stomach relax, his heart quieting down as well.

Stiles rolled over then, "Why is the light on?"

Isaac looked down at his lap, he knew Stiles would never call him a baby, but he was still a little ashamed at his reaction. Heaving a sigh, Isaac confessed, "I woke up all of a sudden and the light was gone. I got scared."

"Oh, did Scott go get another one?" Stiles asked.

Isaac nodded his head, lying back down and trying to get comfortable again. It was only a few minutes before Melissa came in with Scott trailing behind her, a fresh nightlight bulb ready.

"Are you boys going to be able to go back to bed?" she asked.

All of them nodded and curled up together, Melissa came and gave them all another goodnight kiss and switched off the big light. Isaac held his breath, just in case the darkness came flooding back, but the nightlight switched on just like it should.

"Thanks Scott," Isaac mumbled, curling up next to him again.

**Age 9:**

"Mooooooom, what's for dinner?" Stiles asked, yelling it from the top of the stairs.

"Stiles, don't tell across the house," John called out as he was getting ready to go to work.

"But you just did!" Stiles commented, still yelling.

Melissa appeared in the hallway, looking up at Stiles, "I'm making enchiladas, no olives just for you Stiles."

"Thanks!" he smiled, then ran back into the bedroom to work on his homework before dinner.

Melissa stood there, hand over her mouth the hide her smile as John came down the stairs, "Did you hear that John? He called me Mom."

"I did, I wasn't sure if he would, we talked about it a lot back when we first got married," John told her.

Upstairs, the boys were having a similar conversation, Scott and Isaac of course noticing the change in Stiles.

"Stiles, you know you just called my mom 'Mom' right?" Scott asked, wanting to make sure Stiles wasn't forgetting.

Just last night, the boys had woken up to Stiles having another panic attack, brought on by a nightmare. Stiles kept having a reoccurring dream that his dad wasn't coming home, because he got shot. This time, Stiles had told them, his Mom came and was the one to deliver the news, and that made it feel more real- that Dad was going to live with Mom now. It had taken Scott and Isaac awhile to get Stiles's breathing back to normal, both of them just hugging him and telling him to breathe like they were. It was scary but Isaac was proud that they were able to calm him down without needing to call Melissa.

"Yea, I know I did," was all Stiles said.

"Why?" Isaac asked, wanting to know what changed. For Isaac, it was still a little weird, he called her Mom when he talked to her, but in his head, he still referred to her as Melissa. He was torn, feeling like it wasn't fair to his real mom, so he could understand Stiles's hesitation as well.

Stiles shrugged, "After last night… I don't know things are different. I will always love my Mommy, the one you didn't get to meet. She is my Mommy. Just like you will always love your Mommy too Isaac; but Melissa, she's taking care of us now. She loves us, and she doesn't want to replace our Mommies, she just wants to be our new Mommy. Dad 'splained it to me awhile ago- Mommy will always be in my heart, and I'll never forget her, but my heart has lots and lots of room for love. I'm allowed to love Scott's mom as my mom and still love my old Mommy." Stiles paused, forehead creased because he felt like he wasn't making sense, but Isaac jumped in, realizing what Stiles was trying to say.

"Like when she took me to the courthouse and told the judge she wanted to keep me forever and ever! She said that she could never replace my Mommy, and didn't want to, she just wanted to fill up the space that got left behind. Now I can tell everyone that I've got to have two Mommies that have loved me. Just like I call Mr. Sheriff 'Dad' now too; it was weird at first, but I know they both love me and want to be my parents."

"Well, I'm glad you are going to call her Mom now Stiles, you too Isaac. Now it really feels like we're brothers. Our old families might have been a little broken, but that meant there was room for us all to find each other and build a new family. Now we can have even more love than before!"

The boys all smiled at each other, feeling like things were just better now. They knew that when Melissa adopted them, and John had adopted them, after they got married that they were one big family. But up to this point, it felt more like one big sleepover instead of being real brothers. Now that everyone was comfortable with calling them Mom and Dad, it felt real, and they couldn't be happier.

**Age 9:**

Melissa rounded the boys up, she wanted to go over the rules again before Laura arrived to babysit them.

"Moooooom, we're nine now, Stiles is almost ten, we don't need a babysitter no more," Scott whined.

Stiles and Isaac both nodded their heads, although all three of them loved when Laura Hale babysat them. She was a lot of fun and didn't treat them like little babies.

"Oh yes you do!" Melissa disagreed. "Last time I left you alone for 15 minutes when I went next door to talk to Mr. Lasher, someone broke a window and ended up needing stitches."

Stiles smiled guiltily at that comment, they had been playing with a bouncy ball and Stiles had the brilliant idea to bounce it as hard as he could! Then when the window broke, he tried to clean it up so no one would get hurt… it really wasn't his fault that he slipped and landed on a really big piece of glass. Scott had gone into such a panic, Isaac had to run to the bathroom and grab his inhaler- both of them freaked a little with all the blood.

"Besides, I know that Laura is your favorite babysitter, you'll have fun tonight. Now, rules: Laura is in charge, like always, what she says goes. Since it's Saturday, bedtime isn't until 10 o'clock, and when it's bedtime, no fussing. Dad and I will be back by 11 at the latest, and like always we'll come up and see you when we get back. No scary movies, no scary stories, and no late night desserts. Laura has offered to cook for you and dinner will be at around 5. Any questions?"

"What if we can't sleep?" Isaac asked. He hated when they went out late… even though they deserved to have grown-up time. It made him nervous that they might not come home- what if there was an accident? Stiles could tell what was going on in his brother's head, it happened every time.

He wrapped his arm around his brother, "Mommy says we can read a book if we aren't sleepy. Remember?"

Melissa smiled, knowing that all three boys would probably still be up by the time her and John came home. Isaac was a worrier and Scott and Stiles would always stay up with him so he didn't get lonely. "Stiles is right, Laura knows that you can have the desk light on for reading. But no playing or loud noises."

"We can only be in bed and reading quietly," Isaac finished, smile on his face. It comforted him that Melissa always answered his questions- even when he asked the same ones every time they left for a date night.

"Are the boys all caught up on the rules?" John asked, coming down the stairs.

"Yes Sir!" the boys all laughed.

"Good, Laura should be here soon, are you boys going to behave yourselves?"

All three of them shook their heads and giggled, "Never!"

John and Melissa both rolled their eyes, despite their high energy levels, the boys were almost always well behaved. Especially if Laura was watching them; they really only got into trouble when they were left to their own devices. The doorbell rang and Melissa excused herself to go let Laura in, John kneeling down to give the boys a hug.

"We'll see you in a few hours okay? Love you."

"Love you back!" the boys called out, rushing in for their hugs.

"So, which one of you runts is getting tied up tonight?" Laura called out.

"Me, me, me," all three of them cried out, racing to greet Laura.

It hadn't taken long for the boys to tell Laura about their favorite pastime; at first Melissa had been worried about it, but it didn't take long for Stiles to convince her that it was good practice. Especially with what had happened with Mr. Lahey a couple of years ago.

"I swear, someone is going to think we're abusing them," Melissa complained.

Laura laughed, "Naw, everyone knows you love these boys. And with the sheriff as their dad, it's not the big of a stretch. I mean, I know how to slip out of a pair of handcuffs."

"Do I want to know that?" John asked.

"Oh, um, not for running from the police, I'd never get arrested. But if someone kidnapped me or something, you know, being a woman and all," Laura explained, really it was only a slight lie. It wasn't because she was a woman that her father had trained her- it was because of the Hunters.

"Of course you'd never be arrested, you're a good girl," Melissa commented, knowing the Hales were a respectable family.

After one more round of good-byes, John and Melissa left, not wanting to miss the movie. As soon as the door closed, Isaac went and jumped on the couch, grabbing the remote and asking if he could turn on cartoons.

"Yea, of course Isaac," Laura said, Isaac was her favorite, mostly because he was so quiet.

Stiles came into the living room, carefully carrying one of the chairs from the kitchen table, Scott right behind him with the rope. "Laura, Laura, tie us up!" they pleaded, eager to prove that this time they could untie themselves.

"Okay, but you only have until dinner! After that we're going to watch a movie together," Laura warned. She tied Stiles to the chair, wrapping the rope around his torso loosely and tied it off using a simple knot. Then she had Scott sit on the floor and tied his hands behind his back.

Isaac watched as they began to wriggle around doing their best to get loose; Stiles had talked Isaac into trying it once, but he didn't last long. He hated feeling helpless and Laura had to untie him before he started crying. After that, Stiles apologized and didn't suggest it again, saying Isaac could try whenever he was ready.

"While you two pests are trying to get free, what do you want for dinner?"

"Ice cream?" Scott tried, knowing she'd say no- but it couldn't hurt to ask!

"Spaghetti, with no sauce," Isaac said.

"But the sauce is the best," Scott pouted.

"I'm allergic," Isaac reminded him.

"I can make spaghetti and the sauce separate, so you can put as much on it as you want Scotty. Is that okay with you Stiles?"

Instead of answering, Stiles complained, "You cheated Laura, you put a tautline hitch on this!"

"I don't even know what that is! Come on boy scout, you can untie it," Laura said, figuring that he must not have a problem with spaghetti.

Isaac turned back to the tv, curling up next to Laura as he laughed at Spongebob. The time passed slowly, 2 episodes going by before Scott finally pulled free of his bonds.

"I did it!" he cried out, holding the rope above his head.

Isaac and Laura cheered for him, making room on the couch so he could watch with them. After awhile Spongebob ended and Rocket Power came on, all three boys cheering- they really enjoyed this show.

"Stiles, I'm going to get started on dinner okay, don't tip over the chair while I'm not looking."

"I'll be out of this by then, promise!" Stiles grunted, face scrunched up in concentration.

Laura laughed to herself as she walked into the kitchen, Stiles was tenacious at least. As she crossed the hallway, she stopped suddenly, hearing someone sneaking around out front. After a quick glance in the living room to make sure the boys were occupied, she crept to the front door and looked out the peephole, a low growl coming from her throat when she saw who was there. "What do you want Argent?" she called through the door. "It sure looks suspicious when you're sulking about in the front yard of the sheriff's house."

"Open the door Hale," a woman's voice said.

The boys leaned over the back of the couch, "Who's that Laura?"

"No one, don't worry about it."

"Hale, open the door or we'll kick it in, we have reason to be worried about the boys."

"I would never hurt them!" Laura snarled.

She heard a dark laugh from the yard, "Yea, but I'm sure you can understand our concern, considering what time of the month it is."

That witch! Did she really think she couldn't control herself around the full moon?! She was a born-Were, she had her Anchor- she wasn't a pup anymore.

"Come on Laura, you know the deal," a second voice said, apparently Chris was there too.

"Laura?" Isaac asked, eyes wide.

"It's okay Isaac, don't worry," Laura soothed. With a sigh, she unlocked the front door and glared at Chris, Kate, and their lackeys.

"What the-" Chris said suddenly, spotting Stiles from the doorway. He pushed his way inside.

"Hey, you can't just come in here," Laura said, turning to run after him, but Kate grabbed her by the hair.

"Easy girl," she said in a condescending tone."

"Laura!" Scott cried out, grabbing Isaac and dragging him towards Stiles.

Laura cursed herself, she hadn't thought about the fact Stiles was still tied to the chair, of course Chris would take that the worst way possible. And with the boys watching, she wasn't going to chance wolfing out- that would only give Kate satisfaction.

"No, don't untie me, don't untie me! Who are you, go away, Dad is the sheriff, you can't just come in here!" Stiles yelled out, trying to protect his brothers even though he was absolutely helpless.

"Stay away from them!" Laura called out. "Stiles is just practicing, I'm not trying to hurt them!"

"Yea, I'm going to be an escape artist, so if you untie me, you'll ruin it!" Stiles told them, fingers working furiously at the ropes.

Chris heaved a sigh, he should have figured as much, but Kate had convinced him that Laura might lose control tonight. He didn't ask how she knew where Laura would be, or why she might be having control issues, he knew that Kate wouldn't give away her contact. Chris started to walk back to the front door when Stiles let out a triumphant yell and leapt from the chair, kicking the strange man in the back of his leg before ushering the other two boys back to the safe room, telling Laura they'd call Dad. Laura smirked as Chris rubbed his calf, he hadn't been expecting the young boy to actually hit him, and now they were going to call the sheriff. Great. "Kate, get out of here, I'll handle the sheriff. God this is a mess," he complained.

Kate released Laura's hair and walked away, quickly climbing into one of the SUVs and driving away with the others.

"How dare you just come in here! You know I'm not a threat to those boys!"

"As per the deal we set up with your mother, we have the right to keep tabs on the Hale family around the full moon. We take the threat of an attack, accidental or otherwise, very serious, and when we found out you'd be watching three very rambunctious children, we were concerned. Who knows, they may have angered you and you could lash out," Chris theorized.

"I've been watching these boys for years! I would never lash at out them, no matter how 'rambunctious' they might get. They are good boys!"

Chris nodded his head, "I didn't realize you've known them for so long. I apologize if I've upset them. Kate seemed sure that you were… unstable."

"Oh yea, being a teenager and all, very unstable," Laura growled.

Chris stepped out onto the front steps to wait for one of the deputies to show up. He had to give the young Hale credit, throughout the whole encounter, she never once flashed her eyes or fangs, she had amazing control. Clearly Kate was just looking for trouble.

It wasn't long before they saw the sirens, Laura pulling out her cell phone to call Melissa herself. She knew they'd be worried about the kids but she didn't want them to rush home and miss dinner. As Chris started talking with the deputy, Laura gave Melissa details. "Everything is fine, it was just a misunderstanding," Laura explained. "The boys are fine, maybe a little shook up, but they are still in the safe room, no one got hurt."

Melissa asked if they should come home, but Laura assured her it was unnecessary, John leaned towards the phone to say that the boys agreed- everything was fine. Melissa sighed but decided not to argue. "Call us if anything else comes up!" Melissa said.

"Of course Mrs. Stilinski, I will. I've got to give my statement to Deputy Stone now."

During the phone conversation, she'd listened in to what Mr. Argent had said, not wanting to completely get the story wrong. She didn't want to cause any undue trouble before she could get her mom's opinion. Apparently, he'd been driving by and had seen a child tied up to a chair and had been concerned. He got Laura to open the door and confronted her but the boys said they were just playing and then ran off to the safe room and called the sheriff.

"Ok Miss Hale, time for your statement. Are you going to want to press charges?"

"No, I called the Stilinskis already and they said it was just a mistake, unless you think otherwise."

Deputy Stone looked back at Chris and then the open curtains, so far everything seemed to check out, although he had no idea what 'errand' could possibly have him driving down this street at dinner time. But he didn't say anything, just nodded for Laura to give her side of the story.

"I was just getting ready to make dinner when there was this frantic knocking at the door, I thought maybe someone needed help, so I opened it a crack. He pushed his way in, concerned for Stiles and scared the crap out of me- some strange man just barging into the house like that. As you know, the boys love to play escape, and I guess he must have seen that or something. Stiles managed to get free and he kicked the man in the leg and ran into the safe room. Are you going to need to talk to them?"

Deputy Stone shook his head, "No, no need to get them all riled up, Stiles would end up asking more questions than actually answering mine. I'll file a report and the sheriff can get back to me on what he thinks. Call us if he comes back okay?"

"Will do, thank you for coming out." Laura watched as Chris climbed back into his car and drove off, then Stone did the same; she closed the door and locked it, she needed to call Mom about all of this. It would have to wait though, first she needed to check on the boys. As she walked into the office, the boys already had to door open, waiting for her.

"Why did that man come into the house Laura?" Stiles asked, taking charge like always.

Laura knelt down and opened her arms, hugging the boys as she explained. "Apparently he saw you tied up when he drove by, and was worried there was a robber in the house. So he wanted to check on you, and it was just a misunderstanding."

Stiles narrowed his eyes, "But what about that lady? She was mean to you. Why didn't she talk to the cops too?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure it wasn't important. Deputy Stone thinks everything is fine," Laura evaded. Stiles was pretty sharp, she'd have to make sure that he didn't mention that part to his parents later. "Are you boys ready for dinner now? And congratulations Stiles, you got out of the chair this time!"

Stiles beamed and led the way into the kitchen, Isaac and Scott clinging together as they followed. Laura sighed, poor Isaac, it had been a few years since the ordeal with his dad, but clearly he was still very skittish and unsure. Luckily Stiles and Scott bounced back from things fairly quick and were always around to bring Isaac out of his nervous state. The boys helped her to make dinner, getting utensils for her, setting timers, and even setting the table. Thankfully the rest of the night went smoothly, Stiles and Scott getting all the sauce they wanted and Isaac kept his noodles tomato free. By the time Laura herded them to bed, the boys had put the ordeal behind them, talking instead about which book they wanted Laura to read them.

Once she got them all tucked in, lamp light on so they could sit and read to themselves quietly, Laura went back downstairs and called her mom. If the Argents wanted to do more than just keep tabs on them, the Hales were going to return the favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few quick drabbles, things that I thought were fun and also milestones in a way, like Stiles finally deciding to call Melissa 'Mom'. Hoping to have another chapter up next week some time, not making any promises though, I also have my Dramione stuff to work on (like desperately) and also my Wasteland story as well.


	2. The Hale Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hale fire happens and the boys do their best to help out. The Stilinskis also open up their home to the three Hales left behind on Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized as I was writing this that Sheriff Stilinski was technically Deputy Stilinski at the time of the fire and before. I am toooootally used to him just being the sheriff that I wrote him that way XD my bad. So he's just going to be the sheriff for a super long time because he's really good at his job and everyone loves him! Also, the boys are super perceptive in this story, given what has happened to all of them, so don't be surprised by what they pick up on given their age.

**Age 10** :

The boys scrambled to the hallway as they heard their dad take a call; this one seemed really important. They watched as his face fell, asking if they knew how many were in the house; they looked at each other and wondered what might be happening. John rushed out of the house.

"Mom, what's going on?" Scott asked, noticing her pale face.

"There is a fire, at the Hale house."

The kids cried out, firing questions left and right, but Melissa had no answers for them, not even knowing how had been in the house when the fire was started. They huddled around Melissa's legs, fearing for Laura and her family; they had met Mrs. Hale once, and Derek a few times, everything about her family had seemed so nice. Laura didn't deserve this. A few hours went by and the boys couldn't take it anymore.

"Can we go see Dad at the station? I want to know Laura and her family are okay," Stiles begged.

Melissa sighed, she knew the deputies were all going to be busy, trying to figure out what was happening and taking statements. Three worried boys weren't exactly going to be welcomed, but it seemed unfair to keep them in the dark. "We'll only stay for a few minutes, Dad is really busy and I'm sure the other officers are as well. Plus the Hales are probably feeling just awful over this so no bothering them. Go get some jackets and shoes, I'll meet you at the front door."

All three of them nodded and ran to their rooms to grab their jackets and shoes. They dressed quickly and scampered down the stairs, hearts racing, Laura's family needed to be okay. Isaac climbed into the middle seat of the car, Scott and Stiles on either side as usual, buckling in and staying quiet.

As Melissa pulled into the police parking lot, she saw that everything was a flurry of activity, just like she'd suspected. "You boys stay close to me, hold hands at all times okay. I don't want any of you getting knocked to the side or stepped on."

"Yes Mom," they all whispered, looking at the activity. They'd come to visit their dad a few times before but they'd never seen the station like this.

Melissa led the way, Scott following behind her and holding onto her jacket with one hand and Isaac with the other; Stiles brought up the rear making sure that Isaac didn't get jostled too much. As they entered the station, Deputy Stone waved to them, letting them come back, he knew that the boys were probably scared for Laura. They took this as a good sign, it meant the Hales were here, not at the hospital. When they left the lobby and entered the main part of the station, Melissa told the boys to sit down on the chairs and wait for her. They did what they were told, silently looking around at all the people.

"Hey, Laura, there she is!" Isaac called out, pointing across the room to the other set of chairs.

"And Derek too right, that's Derek?" Scott asked, seeing another teenager sitting next to her.

"Come on, let's go say hi," Stiles suggested. "As long as we stay together, it should be okay."

The boys all stood up and carefully made their way through the busy adults, holding hands the whole time. They carefully stood around Laura and Derek, noticing the large amount of soot covering their faces and hands.

"Hi Laura, can we… sit with you?" Stiles asked. He knew better than to say he was sorry, or ask about what happened. The worst question they could ask right now was if they were okay… he could tell by the empty look in their eyes that they weren't, not even close.

"Oh, hey boys… Yea, um sure, you can sit here," Laura mumbled.

Isaac crawled up into the seat next to her, resting his head on her arm, Scott on his other side. Stiles went and took the seat next to Derek, knowing he was probably feeling awful too.

"Don't talk to me," Derek growled. He ignored the sharp look that Laura sent him, he wasn't their babysitter so he didn't have to be nice to them at all. Clearly he wasn't in the mood to talk… his whole family was dead.

"I won't talk, just sit with you," Stiles promised. He did reach out and wrap his small fingers in Derek's larger hand, wanting the older boy to understand he was there for him. Tears stung his eyes as they sat there; he knew the Hales were a big family, so where were the others?

Derek looked down, surprised at the sudden pang of sadness he felt from the boy, this wasn't like the Stiles he was used to at all. He didn't dwell on it too long, just gripped his hand a little tighter and leaned into his sister. They were all still sitting like that when John and Melissa found them.

"Come on boys, we have to go home now," Melissa whispered, tears still in her eyes.

"But Mom… Laura and Derek need us," Scott cried out.

"Actually I'm going to be taking them to the hospital now, to see their other sister Cora," John explained.

"Cora is okay?" Derek asked, looking up at the sheriff.

"Yes, the hospital just called me and said she's stable now. The worst of it was smoke inhalation with only a few burns, they got her out in time," John revealed. "I'm sorry about the rest of your family."

The boys all started to cry then, realizing what John's words meant. The Hale family was gone, except for three kids. Melissa shushed them and gathered them around her as John led the teens out to his cruiser.

"Mommy, what's going to happen to them?" Isaac asked.

"I don't know, there is a lot going on right now. It will all take a while to sort out, but we should go home so we aren't in the way."

Melissa took the boys back out to the car, her heart heavy… John had told her that by the time he'd gotten there, the home had been reduced to a smoldering shell of a home. The firefighters had only managed to grab Cora because she had been in her bedroom and managed to jump out of her window. They had been completely baffled as to how none of the others managed to escape before the fire consumed them. Laura and Derek had been fine because they weren't home at the time, arriving at the property just before the firefighters had. When she got the boys into the house, she made them all hot chocolate and sat them on the couch, knowing they were going to have questions.

*Meanwhile*

"Why were those boys sitting with us Laura?" Derek asked as John drove them to the hospital. "It's not like they can do anything."

"Derek, they all come from broken families… they were just trying to help, one kid to another," Laura whispered.

"What are you talking about, they are all perfectly happy with the sheriff and Melissa!" Derek muttered, crossing his arms. They had what he was never going to get again!

"They don't talk about it, but every one of them has lost a parent. Isaac was there the night his father murdered his mom and brother. Or did you forget about that?" Laura accused. She knew Derek was hurting, she was too! But he didn't need to take it out on them, they were only 10. "They recognized our pain and wanted to share the burden, don't hate them for that. Hate the bitch that did this!"

Derek looked down at his hands, ashamed… They had no way to really prove it, but they caught Kate's scent on a few trees as they scrambled to the house. It was just a whiff before the acrid smell of smoke over powered it, but there was no mistaking it, and it was fresh. Laura didn't know, surely if she did she would have killed him already… This was all his fault, and he had no idea what to do.

 **Christmas Eve, that year** :

"John, we should have them over. Or at least ask. I know they have nowhere else to go, and they are bound to feel really lonely," Melissa pleaded. It had been 4 months since the fire and the kids were all living in a small apartment with Laura since she was 18.

"We can ask, but they probably just want to shut themselves in and be together," John said.

"I know, and that's horribly depressing. At least this way I know they'll get a good meal, and they won't have to listen to people knocking on their door all day, they can leave whenever they want," Melissa bargained.

John caved, "I guess it can't hurt to ask, although I'm sure you would have gone anyways, even if I didn't agree to it."

Melissa hugged her husband, "I would have, and that's why I married you, you're a smart man. Easier to go with the flow in these circumstances."

John unmuted the television as his wife went up the stairs to gather up the boys, he knew they'd want to go see Laura, even if it only was for a few minutes. It was still early in the morning and the boys were still asleep since they were on vacation.

"Well, if you can believe it, only Isaac is up and willing to go, Scott and Stiles stayed up a little too late last night reading comic books. Poor Isaac just couldn't keep his eyes open as long as them," Melissa shared as she reentered the living room.

"I'm sure they aren't too happy about missing out on this," John said, an upturn to his lips.

"Yea, they are upset but they can't keep their eyes open let alone roll themselves out of bed so they have to stay here. Going to have to wait for another time to see Laura, hopefully tomorrow morning," Melissa smiled.

It only took Isaac a few moments to come walking down the stairs, rubbing his eyes as he tried to pull his jacket on with one hand. "Are we going now, can I have some toast first?"

"Yes you can have toast, I don't want to take you out if you haven't even eaten yet," Melissa told the boy. "Breakfast is important, I always tell you guys that, come on, what kind of cereal did you want with your toast?"

"Cap'n Crunch please," Isaac smiled, following his mom into the kitchen.

About thirty minutes later the pair of them were headed out the door and to the Hales' apartment. Melissa led him up to the door and let him knock; while they waited, Melissa wondered if maybe they should have called ahead to let them know she was coming. It was too easy to assume that they wouldn't answer the door, wanting to be left alone all day. But before she could dwell on it too long, Laura opened the door.

"Hey, sorry for making you wait, Cora and Derek were having a rather… aggressive discussion, and I was playing the mediator, what's going on?"

Melissa could see that she was exhausted, her pupils were dilated and she kept glancing around- sure signs of anxiety. It wasn't hard to guess why, this was a pretty traditional family holiday and the Hales had all lived together in that large home. She couldn't image what Thanksgiving had been like for them- she had tried to come find them that time as well but there had been a note on the door saying they weren't home and to not bother knocking.

"Hi Laura! We wanted to ask you a question," Isaac told her, a big smile on his face.

Laura knelt down, "And what's that Little Man?"

"Will you please come spend Christmas with us tomorrow?"

Melissa saw Laura's face fall, even though she did her best to keep the smile on her face. She decided to speak up, before Laura could turn them down, "I know that the holidays can't be easy for you; heck I know taking care of your two younger siblings is probably taking a huge toll on you. I just, was hoping that we could provide you all with a nice home-cooked meal, one that you don't have to prepare. I know this season can't be easy for you, and I understand if you don't want to be around for the presents, but please come for the meal."

Isaac leaned in, doing his best to whisper as quietly as he could, "If you come, I just know Mom will make an extra pie for you guys, whatever kind you want."

"I also know that if you hide out at our house you won't have to be dealing with any other people stopping by trying to give you food," Melissa bargained.

"Oh please Laura, can we? I can't be shut in this apartment all weekend, I'm going to go crazy!" Cora called out from further in the apartment.

"Well I guess that settles it, what time do you want us there?" Laura sighed. If Cora was willing to go then surely the two of them could bully Derek into going as well.

"We're getting up at around 8 to start cooking everything, well the rest of the food. I am making some of it today, but things like the ham and turkey have to be done tomorrow. You can come over any time after that, the kids will be working on gingerbread houses probably around 10, there will be plenty of it if you want to help them."

"I can make the cranberry sauce, I'd feel awful if we didn't at least bring something with us," Laura offered.

Cora popped up next to her sister, "Yea, Mom had a really awesome recipe… I'm sure Laura will be able to do a good job."

"Yay, I can't wait to try it," Isaac exclaimed, hugging Laura's legs. "I'm really glad you are coming, Stiles and Scott will be really happy to see you."

Laura couldn't help but laugh, "Let me guess, they stayed up too late and weren't able to come with you to invite me?"

"Yea, it was the comic books," Melissa revealed. "If you want, you can come hide out at our house tonight too, I know the boys wouldn't mind at all. Just, you know, if you want or need to."

"Thank you Mrs. Stilinski, that means a lot," Laura said with a sad smile.

As soon as Melissa and Isaac were back in their car, Derek came out of his room, "Why are we going out tomorrow? This is a family holiday!"

"And we'll all be together! Just at the Stilinski house instead of this crummy apartment," Cora shot back, eyes flashing amber.

"I don't want to spend time with them… they are too happy and it reminds me of what we don't have anymore!" Derek growled, flashing his blue eyes at his sister.

"We're all still hurting Derek, but I'm tired of being alone with just you two! At least those boys will help distract me from my pain. And don't flash your cold blue eyes at me, just because you have a broken soul doesn't mean I do!"

"Cora!" Laura chastised, her growl silencing the both of them. "The Stilinskis are being kind enough to welcome us into their home, and out of all the people that have stopped by here in the past few months, at least they've never once offered lame sympathies. They all know what it's like to lose someone; even those boys know how stupid it is to offer weak 'I'm sorry for your loss' statements."

"But Laura, I just don't want to go," Derek argued, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Will you tell me why not? I'd rather not leave you here alone all day with microwavable food as the only source of sustenance."

"I don't want to be around cheerful people and a family that just has all the luck, it makes me sick right now," Derek explained.

Cora snorted, "You do know that as the Sheriff, Mr. Stilinski has a chance of never going home again right? You know that Mrs. Stilinski and the boys live with that every day and they still find a way to smile. I remember Mom telling us that Mr. Lahey could have killed them, if Melissa hadn't known what to do."

"Der, do you think Mom would want you to sit here, all alone on her favorite holiday? I'm sure they will understand if you just sit in the corner and brood all day, but at least go and eat with us. We are still your family and Cora wants to go; I for one am already looking forward to not having to cook," Laura said.

"Fine, I'll go, but I'm not doing any gingerbread stuff, and I'm not playing games with the kids…"

*Christmas Day*

Melissa smiled to herself as the doorbell rang, right at 10 o'clock, asking for Stiles to get the door since she was at the stove.

"Hi, I'm so glad you guys came," Stiles cheered when he saw the Hales standing at the doorstep.

"We're glad you invited us into your home," Laura told him.

Derek scowled but followed his sisters inside and let Stiles close the door behind him- he was already feeling overwhelmed but he couldn't back out now. He watched as Laura went into the kitchen to give Mrs. Stilinski the cranberry sauce, and Scott quickly grabbed Cora and pulled her into the living room, he chose the lesser of two evils and went into the kitchen.

"Oh that looks amazing, and there should be room for it in the fridge since the ham and turkey aren't in there anymore. The gingerbread fun is in the living room, which must be where Cora got pulled into. Or if you prefer, you can help out in the kitchen, I'd say you could hang out with John, but he won't be here until 2."

"He's working today?" Derek asked.

"Yea, a lot of the younger deputies have the early Christmas thing, so John and the older guys help out and volunteer so everyone has a chance to be home. I've always done more of a dinner thing anyways so it works out. John always said that it wouldn't be fair of him if he used his position as the sheriff to get out of the holiday hours," Melissa explained.

"Well he's doing really good, a lot of the deputies seem happy with him from what I've gathered, especially with him being so young," Laura commented.

Derek watched for a few minutes as Laura immediately started helping out in the kitchen, and he listened to the boys telling Cora about their epic ideas for gingerbread castles. He didn't really know where he'd feel more comfortable.

"Hey Derek, if you want you can go upstairs into the office and maybe pick out a book? I'm not sure if you're much of a reader, but something tells me you aren't much of a cookie builder," Melissa offered.

"Okay, thanks," Derek said, hoping he didn't look too surprised. He slipped out of the kitchen and easily found the office; his eyes scanned the bookshelf appreciating the wide collection. "No way," he mumbled to himself when he saw that they had a copy of Just After Sunset by Stephen King. Derek carefully pulled it from the shelf; he'd been thinking of buying that book, King's short stories were just amazing. After a breath, Derek slid the dust cover off the hardback, knowing that Laura would get mad if he didn't at least read downstairs- at least this way the cover wouldn't get trashed.

Laura and Melissa smiled at each other as they saw Derek come back downstairs and sit himself at the breakfast table. Hopefully he'd come out of his shell a little bit once dinner came around, but for now they'd leave him be.

A few hours later when John was coming in the front door, he was bombarded by the boys. "Dad, Dad, you have to come see the gingerbread castle! Cora helped us all and she's amazing! We all worked together and built one big one!" Scott yelled out, jumping around the entryway in his excitement.

"We've got walls and towers and everything!" Stiles tacked on as he hugged his dad.

"Mom, you have to come see it too," Isaac called out, racing into the kitchen as his brothers led their dad into the living room. "Laura, Derek, come see what Cora helped us make."

Derek couldn't help but cringe at the sudden increase in volume, this was why he didn't really like younger kids… they just got so loud when they were excited. He had absolutely no idea how Laura could babysit all three of them at one time. But he did get up and follow everyone else into the living room, letting out a low whistle.

"We used all of the frosting and just about all the gingerbread, so I hope no one was wanting to snack on those. But we present, the Halinski Castle, name thanks to Isaac here," Cora presented.

"Cora did all the frosting glue while Scott and I held the pieces for her, and then we each got a section to decorate with the candy," Stiles explained. "I got to do the walls, Isaac did all the awesome paths and the candy moat, and Scott got the towers. Cora did the main part of the castle since she is the oldest and did a lot of the important stuff."

"This is really amazing!" Melissa exclaimed, already pulling out the camera. "Go ahead and get behind it so I can get a picture of you all with it."

Cora bit her lip, knowing that Melissa would want her in there with the boys but when they got the film done they'd be ruined because of her eyes... she didn't know how to control that yet... Laura got her attention and subtly mimicked giving a huge cheesy smile, so her eyes would be closed. That worked, if anything Melissa might think that she was blinking but that was a lot better than eye shine. She let the boys stand close to the castle and she leaned over them, doing a silly pose to match theirs.

"Okay, now, what are we going to do with that castle?" Laura asked. "I'd hate to destroy it, but gingerbread is just so yummy."

The boys watched as she grabbed one of the extra pieces of cookie and ate it, Isaac running over to her first as she eyed the castle, "No Laura, you can't eat the castle!"

"But we always eat our houses," Stiles reminded him.

"Stiles, this is the best one that we've ever made before though," Scott mumbled.

"That just means it will be extra yummy when we get to dismantle it!"

"Why don't you boys take a vote on it, I'm going to change out of my uniform, just don't ruin your supper," John laughed.

Derek expected the boys to argue over it, for Stiles to start taking some of the candy off which would make Isaac cry or something; everyone knew that little kids were brats. But to his surprise, the three of them looked at each other and seemed to have reached a consensus without words.

Stiles cleared his throat, "Derek, what do you think? Cora says that you really, really like gingerbread, and since we used it all that means you can't just eat it. We'll share it with you if you want, since Cora already told us that it's okay to eat."

"What about Isaac?" Derek asked, looking at the boy in front of Laura.

"I don't want to destroy it because we worked hard on it… I say the same thing every year," Isaac mumbled, hands twisting in the hem of his shirt. He was used to his family knowing about his habits, but he forgot that Derek didn't know him that well. "Stiles is right though, we eat the houses every year, but only after Mom gets a picture of it. It's not as much fun if you don't eat them."

"I always promised to be nice to my new brothers, if Isaac really didn't want to eat it, I wouldn't take it down," Stiles said solemnly.

"Yea, but we want to share it with you, since you are our guests, so you get to have the first piece, or you can take it home if you want instead," Scott offered.

Derek couldn't understand why these boys acted so selfless, they were 10- they had every reason to act selfish as much as they could. But instead they were letting him decide on what to do, he didn't even help build the darn thing… He looked down when Stiles suddenly took his hand and pulled him further into the room, smiling up at him.

"Have some, it's okay, really."

Derek cleared his throat, he was 16 and was not going to cry in front of these boys; when Stiles took his hand, he felt this immense surge of warmth and caring. He had no idea how this boy knew he was hurting inside and was offering him compassion when he didn't even deserve it… all under the guise of a stupid gingerbread house. Stiles, Scott, and Isaac were all looking at Derek with such honesty and openness, they wanted him to know that it was okay to feel happy today, despite his family not being here with him; they had no way of knowing the guilt he was hiding. He cleared his throat again, determined to keep up the charade, for their sakes, "I call the drawbridge."

Laura laughed suddenly, releasing the tension that had been building up inside- she had sensed the melancholy coming from Derek and had been hoping that he wouldn't lose it here. Not that they would have judged him for it, but she knew that Derek would never let himself live it down. She watched as he reached over and snagged the drawbridge, the boys waiting until he's taken a bite of it before they also grabbed some.

"Cora pass me a wall, those M&M's are looking super yummy with all that frosting," Laura said, holding her hand out.

"Please tell me that I get to eat some of Isaac's candy moat!" John called out as he came back downstairs.

"There is still plenty here, I have to go back into the kitchen though," Melissa told him before stuffing a piece of cookie into her mouth. "Dinner should be ready in about an hour, prepare yourselves."

A few hours later, everyone was gathered in the dining room, large platters of food spread out amongst everyone. They held hands as John said grace, keeping it short and sweet so that way he didn't stir up too many feelings for the Hales. The next few minutes went by in a flurry of activity as everyone passed food around the table and tried to heap as much as they could onto their plates. Derek sat and listened as the boys told everyone at the table about their awesome plans for the rest of their break, that in the next few days they'd be heading up to the mountains where the real snow was.

Derek couldn't help but smile when he recalled the first time he saw the snow and how his parents had bundled him up just in case. He was still pretty small and they weren't sure if he was going to be a Wolf or a Human and hadn't wanted him getting frostbite. He could remember himself doing all the things that the boys were talking about, going down hills in a sled, building a snowman (maybe his was more of a pet snowball), and making all kinds of shapes in the snow. Derek held onto these memories, hoping to drown out the despair that he knew would come later tonight; Cora had been right though, coming here did help his sadness, at least a little bit.

"Thanks again for having us, we really appreciate it," Laura told the family as they were putting on their jackets. Of course Cora's arms were weighed down with leftovers and Derek had the spare pie in his hands. But at least this didn't feel like sympathy food, this was theirs because they came out and did their best to celebrate.

"It was nice having you here, got to have a little bit of adult conversation, not to mention the help in the kitchen," Melissa admitted.

Laura smiled at her and nodded in understanding, she couldn't imagine having to prepare all that food if she had been all alone. Even at the old house, everyone over the age of 8 pitched in some way or another. It was nice to have that, she had missed it over Thanksgiving.

John came over to see them off, book in his hand, "Hey Derek, did you want to take this and finish it? It's a good read, I can't imagine leaving you hanging."

Derek swallowed, "S-sure. I promise to take good care of it." It was weird having someone outside the family be so cordial with him. Everyone thought he was just a brooding teenager, especially after what happened with Paige. It was nice to know that Laura had met this family and they were truly interested in their wellbeing. He reached out and grabbed the book, carefully tucking it under the pie tin so it wouldn't get dirty.

"Bye!" the boys called out in a chorus. They continued to stand there and wave until all the Hales were in the car and pulling away from the curb, only then was John able to corral them back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to include Derek's blue eyes into this story, since I think they are a huge part of his character. Also I'm using Peter's explanation of when a wolf takes an innocent life, a piece of their soul breaks, causing their eyes to go from a warm color to an icy one. Just for those that might not have understood Cora's comment. At this point, I'm only making Laura aware of what happened with Paige, Cora just knows that a blue-eyed wolf is no longer whole. I don't think Cora would have said that mean of a comment if she knew how exactly Derek had gotten the blue eyes. But keep in mind as well, I'm writing her at about 13 at the time of the fire sooooo she's not having the easiest time right now either.
> 
> Clearly Derek is going to have the hardest time dealing with his family's death because he feels directly responsible whereas Laura and Cora are mourning more... regularly. I just didn't want it to come across as they didn't care as much about what had happened- just that it is affecting him more.


	3. Fateful Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys head into the Preserve in order to help look for a missing woman- even if their Dad specifically told them NOT to help. What's the worst that could happen?

*Present Day*

"Come on Isaac, tell Stiles that we have a chance this year!" Scott begged.

Stiles sighed, "Scott, no offense but your asthma has kind of hampered your skills. Isaac is the only one here that was good enough to catch Coach's eye and get on first string. Which is quite the ironic turn since he was the last one of us to hit his growth spurt; I can't focus long enough to get good hand-eye coordination going. So we're going Scotty, end of story."

"But I've been practicing with you two all break, I know I've gotten better. Tomorrow is the big day and we need rest, so we can do our best," Scott continued to explain, even though he was putting his shoes on.

"Dude, this is a horribly disfigured body, Dad said the guys in the M.E.'s office had never seen anything like this. And now another woman is missing! We have to go help find her before she gets attacked by this… thing!" Stiles called out.

Isaac cleared his throat, "Dad doesn't want our help, he said this wasn't a volunteer search, said it was too dangerous and wanted us in the house. Besides, sleep is important to our growing bodies, Mom always says."

Stiles gave his brother a look, "Isaac, do you really want Dad to come home with the look on his face that says he was too late? I hate that look. We can help, we're fit, we kinda know our way around the Preservation, we can help!"

"I swear, if I break an ankle out there," Isaac said, sounding more exasperated than angry.

"So are we going or not? We only have a few hours before Mom gets home from her shift," Stiles told them, heading downstairs.

Scott and Isaac looked at each other, knowing Stiles wasn't going to give this up, and they weren't going to let him go alone. They both grabbed their coats and dashed down the stairs, following their brother.

"Mom is going to kill us," Isaac groaned as he locked the door behind him.

"She isn't going to find out, we'll find the missing girl and be home in just a few hours," Stiles told them.

"Yea, we deliver the girl to Dad, get called heroes, but Mom doesn't find out? Right," Scott mumbled, climbing into the jeep.

Stiles laughed, "Well if we do find her and get hailed as heroes, Mom has no reason to be mad."

The ride to the Preservation was quiet, until Stiles turned off the jeep, "Okay, I overheard Dad tell the guys that they were starting on the east side, working their way west, I figured we could start more south, since I'm sure they are starting near the trail. Come on, we should be able to clear more of the southern trails than them."

"You've really thought this out," Isaac stated, climbing out of the vehicle and climbing over the low chain marking the edge of the Preservation.

"Well, yea, I listen to a lot of what Dad does, it intrigues me, more than you guys I guess," Stiles shrugged, leading the way.

"Okay, I guess I'll be the one to ask, what happens if we find the animal and not the girl? Or worse, find the dead girl, and the animal in a frenzy?" Scott complained, trailing along behind the others.

A few years ago, since the boys were all teenagers now, Melissa had gone back to work at the hospital. They decided to match her pay and most of the benefits, and with more hours at the hospital, she was making more money for them. So lucky for the boys, they now had a few hours that they were completely unsupervised each day, well when they weren't in school of course. And Stiles was certainly going to use the next 4 hours to their full extent; he was hoping to find the girl and escort her to safety and be back in bed before Mom got home.

"Scott, do you really think an animal is going to attack us when we outnumber it? I mean, one girl out walking trails alone might be attacked yea, but a small group of 3? Unlikely; and the sooner we find her, the sooner our group of 3 becomes 4, even more safety. Let's go, no time to waste," Stiles explained.

Scott humphed and looked at Isaac, whispering, "Can you believe this? This is dangerous, Dad told us to stay home, there's a curfew."

"When has that ever stopped Stiles before? Come on, the least we can do is keep an eye on him. The sooner we go, the sooner Stiles will get tired and then we head home. It's only 11, we can still get plenty of sleep," Isaac said, falling into line behind Stiles.

Scott made it two hours until he finally complained again, "Stiles, my feet are killing me. This ground is frozen and uneven, and despite what you think of my chances, I'd like to at least try my hardest."

"Yea, I'm hurting too, at least when Coach has us running it's on even ground," Stiles sighed, pausing to lean against a tree. "I guess we can make our way back now, we're getting close to our limit anyways."

"At least our way back will be shorter, since we aren't looking for tracks," Isaac smiled. "Not that any of us know how to track anyways," he added on with a roll of his eyes.

Stiles threw his hands up in the air, "Hey, I was just wanting to help find her before something bad happened. At least I won't have that hanging over my head."

"For all we know, Dad already found her and got her somewhere safe and we're out here wandering in circles," Scott mumbled.

"We aren't wandering in circles, I'm leading us along one of the trails," Stiles scolded. "But you two win, we'll head back and get some sleep."

"Thank goodness," Scott and Isaac both said at the same time.

Stiles just rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands into his hoodie pouch, he didn't understand why they would rather get rest for lacrosse than help save someone. They walked in silence for most of the way back, until Scott panicked and called them to a stop.

"I heard something guys… tell me you heard it too," Scott whispered.

"Yea, I heard it, but it was probably a deer or something," Isaac whispered back.

"If it was an animal, why are we whispering? The more noise we make, won't that scare it away?" Stiles asked, whispering as well.

Isaac turned to look at him, "Well if that's the case, why are you being so quiet too? Let's just keep walking-"

As soon as Isaac spoke, a thunderous noise erupted around them and a herd of deer appeared out of the darkness. Stiles shouted for them to run and broke off to the right; Isaac turned around in a panic, looking for Scott but he was nowhere to be seen. The deer were right on him and Isaac had nowhere to go, so he dove behind the nearest tree and held his breath, waiting for the stampede to run off. Within moments all the hoofed animals were gone, back into the darkness; Isaac picked up his head and listened. Absolute silence, which was very unnerving after the loud stampede that just went by; Isaac got to his feet and was about to call out to his brothers when he heard a deep growl. He froze, too scared to move, and the growl was coming from behind him… He knew that having his back to whatever beast it might be was the worst position to be in. "Stiles, I swear if that's you right now, trying to trick me, I'll tell Mom about who really broke the bathroom door," Isaac squeaked out. As mean as it might be, he'd much rather that it was Stiles behind him than the vicious creature that their Dad was out looking for.

A loud snarl answered him and Isaac ducked his head in fear at the sound; cautiously, since he hadn't been attacked yet, Isaac looked over his shoulder. As soon as he looked at the creature he let out a terrified yell and ran, completely forgetting everything he'd learned about wildlife safety. Everyone knows that a running target becomes prey. As soon as he'd taken a step, he heard the thing behind him rush forward; Isaac dodged behind trees and jumped over small bushes, praying it would lose interest. Pushing himself as hard as he could, he ran back towards the direction of the jeep, if he could get inside, maybe he'd be safe. Suddenly Isaac felt something solid hit his back and he went down, scream ripping from his throat- he was dead… Isaac cried out in pain as he felt a searing pain on his side, as well as claws sliding down his back.

"Let me go!" Isaac yelled, squirming against the pain, trying to free himself.

The words must have startled the creature or something because no sooner had he spoke than the creature leapt away. Isaac lay there in the dark, hoping that the thing was truly gone and not just hiding out of sight. There was a rustling noise off to his left and Isaac whimpered, hands digging in the foliage for some sort of weapon; he'd just got his fingers around a stout branch when the noises stopped, just behind him.

"Isaac? Oh my God, what happened?" Scott asked, kneeling down next to his brother. He fell back on his butt as Isaac swung the branch, the injured teen catching himself just in time before cracking it against Scott's head.

"Scott? Oh thank goodness it's you. We have to find Stiles and get out of here before that thing comes back!" Isaac whispered. His eyes darted back and forth, hoping to at least spot the creature before it snuck up on them.

"It attacked you? We need to get you to the hospital," Scott whimpered. He helped Isaac stand, and with the branch as a would-be support, they started walking again, periodically calling out for Stiles. Thankfully it wasn't long before Stiles answered them, stumbling around in the dark, using his phone as a flashlight.

"There you two are. We shouldn't have split up, stupid freaking deer… You both okay?" Stiles asked.

"Isaac got attacked, we need to get him to the hospital," Scott answered, wheezing slightly.

Isaac shook his head," No, we have stuff at home. Let's at least see how bad it is before we let Mom and Dad know we were out here." As he spoke he reached into Scott's pocket and pulled out his inhaler, "Use it Scott, we're all together now."

Scott nodded his head and took a few puffs while Stiles came forward and helped to support Isaac. The three of them hurried to the jeep and helped Isaac climb into the back, so he could lie down on his side.

"Just hang in there, we'll get you cleaned up," Stiles promised. He smiled ruefully, that was one of the perks of having an over-protective sheriff for a father and a nurse as a mother. Plus Scott worked at the vet clinic, so between the three of them, there weren't too many injuries that they didn't know how to fix. In theory at least… As soon as everyone was in, Stiles drove as fast as he dared to get them back home.

"Gah, my back hurts like Hell!" Isaac complained as he maneuvered his way out of the back seat. "Looks like I might not make first string with this injury, so you can take my place Scotty," Isaac smiled.

Scott shook his head, "I don't want the spot if I got it because our dumbass decisions got you hurt."

"Yea, I'm sorry Isaac… I didn't think this would happen," Stiles mumbled quietly as he unlocked the front door.

"Well I'm alive still so, it's fine. I agreed to go out there with you, I knew the risks. None of knew we'd get spilt up by a stampede," Isaac argued. He didn't want either of them to blame themselves for this; he'd be fine.

He tried to keep his wincing to a minimum as the two helped him out of his torn jacket, shirt, and dirty jeans. Scott started to gather all of their first aid kits as Stiles got the shower to a nice temperature.

"In ya go, I'll help you clean your back," Stiles ordered, stripping down to his boxers. "Wow, that looks all bad Bro, this is going to hurt a bit," he muttered as he helped Isaac step into the warm stream of water.

"Oh then it looks as bad as it feels? Oh, the water feels good at least. Oww!" Isaac hissed as Stiles started carefully cleaning the scratches.

Stiles winced, "Sorry, trying to be gentle."

"Naw, I'd rather they get cleaned than get babied," Isaac admitted. Best to just grit his teeth and get it over with; he closed his eyes and focused on the warm water instead of the nagging pain. It took a few minutes before Stiles claimed to be done, shutting off the water and handing him a towel.

"Now it's my turn," Scott offered, holding up the large red bag of medical supplies.

Isaac nodded his head and wrapped the towel around his waist, sitting backwards on the toilet so Scott could get a good look at everything. Thankfully Scott had real gentle hands and he was able to apply the antiseptic and bandages with minimal wincing from his patient. Then there was a pause when they got to the large bite mark on his side.

"Dude, I don't want to be a downer but… you should get tested for rabies or something, I mean that was a wild animal," Scott mentioned.

"Yea but they did tests on the body they already found… No rabies," Isaac countered.

Stiles brightened at the news, "Hey yea, they did at least confirm that whatever is out there doing this doesn't have rabies."

"Which firstly means that whatever is doing this, isn't insane- it isn't rabies-induced, so we have no idea why it mauled that poor woman. Secondly, we have no idea if Isaac was attacked by the same thing, this could a completely different wild animal," Scott explained.

Stiles gave him a look, "I thought you didn't want to be a downer… Seriously, two different creatures out there randomly attacking people? You heard what everyone is saying, most wild animals don't attack people, they go out of their way to avoid us. Except maybe bears and mountain lions- which animal control ruled out based on the attack patterns."

"And whatever the hell attacked me wasn't either of those… it- it was gnarly looking, and had mean red eyes. Like, bright, glow-y red eyes. I couldn't tell you what it was, besides large and scary," Isaac admitted as Scott put the last bandage on. "Although, when it growled at me… it sounded like a dog… like a really large dog. Not like a cat growl, you know? Maybe a wolf or something?"

"It would be rare for a lone wolf to just… attack like that. Although they can get large, I've never heard of any having red eyes," Scott pondered.

"We can look into it in the morning, but for now, we need to get rid of all the evidence and pretend to be sleeping, Mom should be home soon," Stiles told them.

Isaac snorted, then gestured to himself and Stiles, "How exactly do we hide wet boxers? I mean, you know that will get all gross if we hide them in the laundry basket."

"Easy, we toss them, and some other clothes into the dryer. Then they can just be a load of clothes that got cleaned," Stiles explained, already heading out of the bathroom.

Scott and Isaac looked at each other, that was actually a good idea- he was extremely smart when he applied himself. It was just too bad for most of their teachers that school subjects bored him.

"Thanks for patching me up," Isaac offered.

"Of course, what are brothers for?" Scott smiled.

After he'd carefully put on some pajamas and cleaned up the bathroom, Isaac headed into Stiles's room, with his pillow. They had told their parents that they'd attempt to sleep in their own beds more, but tonight was going to be an exception- getting mauled by a wild animal had that effect. Isaac smiled, Stiles and Scott had already set their little nest up, comic books strewn about on the floor to make it look like they'd just stayed up late reading. The three of them easily climbed under the covers and got comfortable, the loss of adrenaline pulling them into sleep fairly quickly; they were all curled up together, fast asleep when Melissa came home and checked on them.

*Thursday Morning*

The boys all groaned when their phones went off, Scott being the first to respond and roll out from under the warm covers. He was also the only one really stoked to be going back to school today, for the lacrosse tryouts. Stiles didn't quite understand why, they were almost guaranteed a spot since they had played last year, as long as the roster didn't completely fill up but, they were probably going to be riding the bench. And since Isaac was hurt he probably wasn't going to do- Isaac!

Stiles shot up into a sitting position and turned to look at Isaac, "Dude, how are you feeling, did you sleep okay? How much pain are you in?"

Isaac grumbled and opened his eyes at the barrage of questions, "I actually feel okay, but I haven't tried to move yet. But I slept just fine so none of my moving woke me up."

Both Scott and Stiles watched as he sat up slowly and stretched, taking off his shirt so they could inspect the bandages. So far everything looked good, not much blood had soaked through the bandaging, so that meant he hadn't bled a lot while they were sleeping. Stiles reached over and was just about to peel off one of the bandages on Isaac's back when Scott stopped him.

"Maybe we should go into the bathroom, just in case Mom is up and decides to come check on us. If we're in there she won't come in, just knock and see how we are."

The other two nodded and Isaac threw his shirt back on and the three of them went into the bathroom. Scott turned on the shower for background noise while Stiles started peeling off the white squares.

"Dude… Scott, come here," Stiles called out, voice full of confusion.

"Why, how bad is i- whoa, what?"

Isaac tilted his head and tried to get a peek at his back, "What, is it horribly infected? I don't feel anything, does that mean it's super bad? Guys, say something!" Stiles and Scott didn't answer, instead they mutely turned him so his back was facing the mirror, allowing Isaac to look at the reflection. His jaw dropped as he finally turned his gaze to see the damage- there was none. His back was smooth, no large gashes, no healing tissue, not even a scar. "What the hell is going on?" Isaac tore his gaze from the mirror and hurriedly ripped of the last bandage- revealing more smooth skin. No bite mark either. "Last night really happened, right? I mean, I didn't have just a vivid nightmare or anything?"

"I've never heard of a nightmare so vivid that three people share it. We all saw how torn up you were last night. We didn't imagine that," Scott answered, eyes still searching for any sign if the previous injuries.

Stiles was the first to recover, clearing his throat, "Maybe, we did kind of imagine it. I mean, we were all tired and stressed out over this animal attack thing. What if we remember the wounds as more serious than they were?"

Scott rolled his eyes, "Dude, those were some serious claw marks on his back, what else do you think we might have seen?"

Stiles threw his hands up in exasperation, "I don't know, maybe he was jumped on by some small animal and fell into a bush or something. They could have been branch scratches or something!"

"Right, branches… they didn't feel like branches Stiles. And even if they were, what the hell happened to the bite mark? No tree is going to leave a mark like that!" Isaac complained as he undressed further.

"Besides, even if they were all just branch marks, they would be scarred up right now. No way they would have healed overnight and not have left a mark. There is still blood on the bandages for goodness sake!" Scott tacked on.

"Ok, point made," Stiles groaned. "I never claimed to have a concrete answer, I was just throwing something else out there. What ideas do you have then, let's hear it."

"I don't have any idea, I'm completely bewildered in all honesty. Isaac was attacked last night, we all saw the proof, and now there is nothing. It's too weird. Get in the shower and don't use up all the hot water, I'll go get clothes."

"Yea, okay," Stiles muttered, quickly undressing and hopping in behind Isaac.

This was another part of their morning routine that their parents thought was a bit weird- they usually showered together. The boys argued that it saved time if at least two of them showered at once (now that they were 16, the three of them definitely weren't going to fit) and the third brother would go pick out the day's outfits. It was all to save time and hot water, really, and they traded off who showered first every day. Plus, they already all showered together after practice and stuff, so it wasn't like it was weird to be around each other while naked. Over the years they'd gotten really good at avoiding awkward touches and bumps, as well as keeping eyes averted at all times.

"I'm done Scott," Isaac called out, wrapping a towel around himself. Since he'd gotten in first, he finished before Stiles did, so he might as well let Scott start showering and he'd go get started on scrounging up some breakfast. On the way to his room, Isaac continued to run his hand over his side, where he'd been bitten. There was no way he'd imagined that attack, or those eyes- he'd never forget those. With a slight shake to clear his head, he went into his room and quickly got dressed before heading downstairs. By the time he'd picked out something for them to eat and was preparing it, Stiles had joined him in the kitchen.

"We have English muffins?" Stiles asked.

"Yea, Mom went to the store the other day and I had put them on the list," the other teen replied.

"Sweet!"

Isaac smiled as he continued to spread some butter on the toasted muffins; it hadn't been long ago that the boys had found out these made for a quick and easy breakfast. Especially if you also had some cereal with it. The two of them had just finished getting everything on the table when Scott joined them.

"So, are you two excited for tryouts yet?" Scott asked.

Stiles shook his head, "Nope. I mean, I'm going to try hard but I'm on Coach's shit list and we all know it."

"I hope I don't have some sort of relapse during practice. I feel fine but, this is still too weird, what if something happens during school," voiced Isaac, picking at his cereal.

"We'll check in on you all day, and if anything comes up, text us," Stiles offered immediately. "If anything happens at all, I'll drive you to the doctor."

Isaac smiled in thanks, "I hope it won't come to that, but at least I know you're taking this as seriously as I am… last night was weird."

"I still think it's totally stupid that Stiles and I got put into almost identical classes and then we only have like… 1 class with Isaac," Scott pouted suddenly.

"I have two with him," Stiles corrected.

Isaac shrugged, "That's life, classes are a complete lottery, although it is a little weird. Maybe they just think Stiles needs a babysitter."

Stiles threw a small piece of muffin at him and then flipped him off, causing the other two to laugh. After breakfast they all gathered up their bags and went off to school, although the entire ride there was filled with Scott going over the plays.

*School*

"Well, even if Isaac doesn't share most of our classes, at least we managed to get lockers all next to each other this year," Scott mentioned.

"Yea, that is nice that we found space together like this on our day of registration. Sophomores barely get better lockers than freshman but next year we're juniors so maybe we can get lockers on the 2nd floor," Stiles agreed.

Isaac laughed, "You're only saying that because most of your classes are on the 2nd floor this year, but 3 of mine are on this floor. Who knows what our classes will be next year."

Before Stiles could protest, the bell rang, signaling everyone to class, Scott leading the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally in the present day (age 16)! And yes, I made Isaac the first one Bit because of the storyline ideas I have. I promise things will still be interesting, but no Were!Scott at this time. I'll give you a spoiler and say that I am planning on making him one in the future though.  
> I cut this chapter a bit short because I'm not 100% sure how much detail I'm going to put in the class section and I didn't want to cut the school day in half, or the lacrosse tryouts. Let me know what you think =)


	4. Exciting First Day Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow the usual gang from 1st period all the way to lunch. Focuses on the boys, but also, the other main characters of TW like Allison, Lydia, Erica, Boyd, etc.

*First Period English 2*

Isaac was sitting on Scott's right, in the middle of the class, tapping his pencil against his notebook as he waited for Miss Thompson to finish taking roll and start class. Suddenly he could hear someone talking about not having a pencil, but no one responded. Slowly he looked around the class, wondering who it was that needed the pencil but he didn't see anyone, and then the girl kept talking without Isaac having heard a response at all. Did that mean a phone conversation? Who the hell was brave enough to pull out a phone in class? Isaac looked around once more but none of the girls were on their phones, so… who was he hearing?

He turned to Scott asking if he knew who needed a pencil but his brother just shrugged and looked confused. As he started to turn back to his own desk, someone outside the window caught his eye. She was sitting on one of the benches out front and had her cell phone to her ear as she dug through her bag. As he stared at her, he heard more of her conversation, apparently with her Mom.

"Dude, Isaac, what are you staring at?" Stiles whispered from behind him. At his voice, Scott also turned to see what was up.

Isaac pointed out the window with his chin, "I just heard that girl out there tell her Mom that she didn't have a pencil, and that it wasn't a great start to her morning."

Scott turned and looked out the window, small smile coming to his cheeks, Stiles on the other hand focused on the absurdity of Isaac's statement.

"You heard her? Dude, she's outside!" Stiles hissed in disbelief.

"Now she's saying good-bye to her Mom because the vice principal is coming to show her to her first class," was all Isaac whispered back, voice just as disbelieving.

The three of them watched as, just a moment later, Mr. Nash walked into sight and welcomed the girl. Both of his brothers turned to gape at Isaac but Isaac could do nothing but shrug at them. All three of them jumped with Miss Thompson cleared her throat and began teaching, her students all taking notes. A few minutes later the door opened and Mr. Nash came in, the girl following right behind him.

"Sorry to interrupt Miss Thompson, but I have a new student for you."

"No worries, we only just started, come on in and have a seat, Miss?"

"Allison, I'm Allison Argent," the girl introduced.

"Nice to meet you, there is an open seat behind Scott," Miss Thompson offered, pointing in the boy's direction.

Allison nodded her head and quickly sat, hoping that the staring would stop when the lesson started up again. She pulled out her notebook and sighed, wondering if anyone wanted to lend the new girl a pencil… But just then the boy in front of her turned around and offered her one.

"How-? Thanks, can I borrow it all day?" She asked, she didn't want him to think she was a pencil stealer.

"Yea, that's cool," he responded with a smile.

Allison smiled back shyly and ducked her head, maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

*Second Period Biology*

"Dude, Allison is so pretty, do you think maybe she'd go on a date with me?" Scott questioned as soon as they sat down.

Stiles, who was sitting in front of Scott now, thumped his head on his desk. Leave it to Scott to get caught up with a girl the moment he saw her. All he did was pass her a pencil! Stiles told him as much.

"Dude, you have no room to judge!" Scott snorted. "I have one name for you: Lydia Martin!"

"Dude, that is different and you know it! Lydia, she's a queen!"

Scott kicked his brother's chair, "Allison is too!"

"A queen wouldn't have come to school without a pencil," Stiles countered.

"Everyone is entitled to having a bad first day, clearly her family just moved here. I can tell though, she's perfect!" Scott was not to be swayed on the subject.

Stiles tuned him out though and ended up staring at Lydia, who was a few rows in front of him. He flashed back to when he first met her.

*3rd grade*

"You boys be good okay, Dad will be picking you three up," Melissa told them. It felt good to be able to say that now- they'd married just before the end of summer break and John had officially adopted her two boys and she Stiles. They were still getting used to it though so Stiles was yet to call her Mom.

"We'll be good, I promise," Isaac told her as he waved.

Melissa waited until the three of them were in the building before driving off, then she went off to perform a house-call. As soon as the boys were in, Stiles pulled his brothers forward, eager to get to class.

"Come on, we have to find the best seats!" he cried out.

Scott rolled his eyes, "I can't believe you're excited for school, I thought you hated school?"

"I hated our teacher, but some of the older kids told me that Miss Barnes was awesome, so I want to see for myself!"

The boys ran into their new classroom and looked around, seeing all the cool new posters set up on the walls. Even better, the teacher felt like they had outgrown the need for colored kiddie seats, now they had the regular blue seats like the other classes. They were on their way to being Big Kids finally! Suddenly Stiles let out a squeak and squeezed Scott's hand.

"Ow, what was that for?" Scott pouted as he yanked his hand away.

"She's beautiful," Stiles whispered in awe, his eyes wide and glazed over. "She must be a Princess or something… no, she's a Queen!"

Isaac turned and looked at him, assuming that Stiles was talking about their teacher, "Dude, she's OLD!"

"No she isn't, she's just perfect!" Stiles said.

Isaac peered back around at the teacher and made a face, which Stiles saw of course. "Ew, I'm not talking about Miss Barnes dummy, I'm talking about her!"

Scott and Isaac both looked to where Stiles was pointing, immediately spotting the girl he was infatuated with. Across the room was a girl with long, beautiful red hair, the loose curls framing her face.

"Look at her eyes, they are so green and pretty," Stiles mumbled.

"Hey, are my eyes pretty Stiles? You never compliment my eyes," Scott teased, fluttering his eyes at the taller boy.

"Ew, no, you have poopy brown eyes, hers- hers a wonderful emerald color that sparkles," Stiles said, happy to explain the difference. Her eyes were exceptional!

Isaac couldn't help but laugh, "Scott doesn't have poopy brown eyes, they are more like coffee, and since Miss Melissa and the Sheriff love coffee, that means coffee must be awesome."

"Well I know who my favorite brother is!" Scott huffed, crossing his arms.

"Don't be whiny! You should be happy I don't find your eyes pretty, I can't be in love with my brother like that. But her, I'm in love with her!" Stiles explained.

The boys stood around as Miss Barnes called the class to order and asked them all to find seats. Stiles held his brothers back, telling them he wanted to see where the girl sat first, that way they could sit near her. After snagging a chair at the table right behind her, Miss Barnes started calling roll, and that's when he found out her name was Lydia- a beautiful name for his new Queen.

*Present Day*

"All these years and she still doesn't even know I exist," Stiles sighed.

"See, at least Allison knows I exist, she borrowed a pencil from me."

Stiles rolled his eyes and started taking notes, all it meant was he had to step up his game. He had learned early on that Lydia was smart, hell- she was super intelligent. But, she was also… if he was honest, slightly superficial and cared a lot about looks and popularity… And being a third string lacrosse player didn't exactly get one invited to the cool kids' parties. Maybe Scott was right, maybe he should give the tryouts his all today. If he could get some time on the field, Lydia would probably notice him then.

*Second Period World History*

Isaac took his usual seat, sighing as he pulled out his notebook, history was usually okay, but he knew that they were starting African history this semester. Normally that wouldn't be bad but… he'd heard from Boyd that his cousin believed Westover to be a little… well, whitewashed in his teachings. If they were going to be learning about the various countries of Africa, he'd want to actually learn about them, not just what some crappy American history book had to say about them.

"Hey Isaac," he heard from his right. He turned and smiled at Erica, he'd gotten to know both her and Boyd over the course of the year. They shared quite a few classes after all, and since he didn't have Scott or Stiles with him for most of the day, he liked having a few friends to talk with. "Hey Erica, how are you feeling today?" he asked.

She shrugged noncommittally and Isaac took that to mean she wasn't feeling her best today. On her other side, closest to the wall, Boyd leaned forward to frown at Isaac- apparently he took the same meaning from Erica's silent answer. Between them Erica crossed her arms and slouched a bit in her seat, she hated when they worried about her. It was all because of that one stupid video that got put up on the internet… she couldn't believe that some girl had thought her seizure was hilarious and recorded it when she was on the bathroom floor. Thankfully the teachers had talked the girl into taking down the video but the damage had been done, most of the kids in her year knew her face now. Erica was just happy that Isaac and Boyd refused to watch the video and hadn't said anything to her about it other than it was awful that someone would violate her like that. She was glad that she'd become friends with the both of them, but she had known Boyd a bit longer. They used to always sit outside for lunch their freshman year and eventually he came up to her and asked if they could share a table.

Isaac had luckily just been assigned into their group, along with another lacrosse player named Adam. It took him forever to crack Erica and Boyd but eventually they had warmed up to him before they completed the project. Erica had been so quiet and subdued, she wasn't used to someone wanting to get to know her, but eventually she warmed up to him. And Boyd had seen that Isaac was being genuine and wanted to become their friend, so he opened up as well. The funniest part was when the four of them got together at his house after school to work on the project, Erica got all flustered every time Stiles walked by. It had taken most of the first semester after that before he finally got her to admit she had a crush on him. But he had to promise not to tell, which of course he wouldn't. Although he did try to get the two of them to sit with him and his brothers at lunch; he had been unsuccessful thus far.

Before they could push any further about how she was feeling, Mr. Westover started class by handing out a packet. "We're starting a new section today, so here is your usual packet, answer as many as the questions as you can."

Isaac waited until the girl in front of him, Ran, turned and passed him the packet; Mr. Westover had this habit of showing them just how much they'd learned. At the end of the section, he'd give them the same packet to fill out again, only hopefully they'd be able to answer more of the questions.

"Thanks," Isaac said as he grabbed the small stack. But Ran just gave him the slightest lift of her eyebrows in response. As he took one and then passed the rest behind him he turned and gave Erica a questioning look. He'd sat behind her all year and still hadn't managed to get a word out of her, not in math class either.

Erica had seen the lack of response and shrugged at her friend; at least it wasn't just Isaac she wasn't keen on talking to. Erica hadn't heard her say a word to anyone all year. For some reason though, it bothered Isaac- but he was a sweet guy that wanted to make friends with everyone. Almost everyone, Erica had heard him rant about Jackson enough to know he would never be on Isaac's buddy list. She couldn't help but smile to herself though when she heard Isaac sigh, he wasn't giving up yet. Instead of saying anything, Erica just picked up her pencil and started reading through the packet.

*Third Period Chemistry*

Erica sighed as she waved goodbye to Isaac and Boyd outside of Chem class, those two also happened to have Econ together. But she couldn't feel too bad she reminded herself as she took her seat- directly behind Stiles. Erica smiled to herself as she pulled out her book, it was her only class with Stiles so she felt really lucky that she got placed behind him. That way she could study him without others noticing that she wasn't looking at Harris. Plus Scott was her tablemate, so sometimes Stiles would turn back to her table and she'd get to see his face.

Class started like it usually did, Harris telling them his plan for the semester and then also finding a way to get a barb in at Stiles and Scott's expense. Then it was time to learn, Harris took his class very seriously, and his teaching method was just so boring… so no one could really blame her when she spent most of her time watching Stiles's fingers tap out a hectic rhythm on the desk instead of taking the best notes. She was passing the class so it didn't matter that much. About halfway through class, the worst thing happened, she got a very distinct metallic taste in her mouth.

"Not now," she whimpered quietly. She raised her hand, already she could feel the tingling in her fingertips as well. The tingling increased as she held her hand up, she had maybe 30 more seconds to get out in the hall at least. But Mr. Harris was of course facing the board. "Excuse me, Mr. Harris, can I go to the bathroom?" she asked, despite not being called on.

Harris sighed, without turning around, "No, Mr. Sanders isn't back yet. You'll have to wait."

"But this is an emergency," Erica cried out, putting her hand down before anyone else noticed the tremors. The taste in her mouth was stronger now.

This time Harris turned around and fixed her with a disapproving glare, "I said you'll have to wait Miss Reyes."

Erica whimpered and tried to take a deep breath; Stiles heard her and spun around to see what was wrong, just in time to see her fall out of her chair and onto the floor. Within moments Stiles and Scott were out of their seats and kneeling next to her, Stiles ripping off his hoodie to put under her head.

"Get her away from the desk, so she doesn't kick it," Scott ordered.

Stiles complied and carefully moved Erica further away from the desk and chair while Scott made sure she was still able to breathe. The seizure lasted maybe a minute before Erica's eyes came back into focus, her breathing a little labored.

"Hey, are you breathing okay?" Stiles asked quietly.

Erica turned and buried her face in the fabric under her head but nodded her head, yea… she was just fine- not!

"Mr. Stilinski, why don't you take her to the nurse, Scott, stay here and take notes, I won't allow both of you to wander the halls unsupervised. And at least this way Stilinski won't disturb the class," Harris said from over Stiles's shoulder. With that he turned and walked back to the front of class. "I expect the rest of you to be paying attention to me, not to Miss Reyes, class is still in session."

"Prick," Stiles muttereded as he helped Erica to her feet. Then he repacked her stuff and slung her bag over his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you to the nurse."

Erica let herself be led out of the classroom, her face hidden in his shoulder to ignore all the stares she was probably getting. If only Mr. Harris hadn't been so strict, she could have gone out into the hall, then no one would have seen it.

"Hey, you okay? You're looking kind of pale, you aren't going to have another one right? I read that back-to-back seizures are bad…" Stiles inquired.

"No, I'm fine… well okay, I'm not fine. But no, I'm not going to have a second seizure. At least not right now. That's never happened to me," Erica explained, looking down at the floor.

Stiles looked down at the girl under his arm, "Hey… this is nothing to be ashamed of you know… It's not like you can control this. You tried to get excused and Mr. Harris said no."

"I just hate that other people think it's funny and try to record it!" Erica cried out. "That first video got taken down, and since then I've had 2 more seizures at school. None of them have been posted, but that doesn't mean they haven't been recorded and sent out as emails instead!"

"That's complete bullshit by the way. Nothing about this is funny, I'm sorry that's happened to you. When I was younger, I had a panic attack at school and all the other kids laughed at me. I'm sure if cell phones had been a thing back then I'd be all over the internet too. The kids avoided me for awhile, like the attacks were contagious or something. That's not how we should treat people with disorders."

They slowly navigated the stairs and then he helped her into the nurse's office, "Hey, Nurse Hannah? Erica had a seizure in class."

"Oh my, Erica, you haven't missed a dose of your medicine have you?" the nurse asked, helping Erica into one of the cots.

"No, but over break I've had more seizures than normal. I have an appointment with my doctor, but not for three more days," Erica revealed glumly.

"Well I'll take care of you, did you need a pass Stiles?"

"Might as well, just in case another teacher sees me and doesn't believe me," Stiles replied. He'd seen the nurse often enough for her to recognize him on sight, something that seemed to comfort Erica. Maybe it was because she knew now that he spent a lot of time here too. "Bye Erica… Did you want me to tell anyone that you're here? Or are you going home?"

"No, I-I'm going to stay. I'm not going to let them chase me off. Unless of course I have another one… then I have to go to the hospital. If.. If you see Boyd, can you tell him?"

"Yea, I'll do that. Do you know what class he has? I'll look for him as soon as the bell rings," Stiles offered.

Erica smiled at him, "He's in Econ right now, um, with your brother."

"Oh, is it okay if I text him then, to at least tell Boyd I'm looking for him. I… I don't want to accidentally tell Isaac something you don't want him to know."

"You can tell Isaac, he's my friend too," Erica answered.

Stiles nodded his head and then said goodbye, pulling out his phone to text his brother on the way back to the second floor. Since Erica told him he could tell, he figured he might as well not hide it from Isaac, since he was friends with her too.

_S: Dude… I got some bad news…_   
_I: why are you txting in Chem? Harris is going to kill you_   
_S: Because um, well I'm not in class. I'm supposed to tell Boyd, and you too, Erica had a seizure in class. I took her to the nurse_   
_I: What? I'll tell him, we'll be there to see her as soon as we get out_

Stiles sighed sadly and went back into class, it wasn't fair that a sweet girl like Erica had to go through that. It wasn't until then that he realized Erica had held onto his hoodie, but maybe it would give her some kind of strength.

*Lunch*

Isaac and Boyd tore out of class as soon as the bell rang, practically running Coach Finstock over. They tumbled into the nurse's office and immediately spotted Erica laying on the cot closest to them.

"Erica, how bad was it?" Boyd asked, sitting next to her.

"It was about a minute… I fell out of my chair in front of everyone. Harris wouldn't let me go to the bathroom," Erica mumbled.

"He didn't let you go to the bathroom?" Isaac repeated, anger seeping into his voice.

Erica nodded sadly, "One of the other students was out and he's strict about only one student out of class at a time. No exceptions."

"What happened then?" Boyd asked, rubbing small circles along her back.

"I'm… I'm not 100% I didn't lose consciousness but, I mean, I was a bit preoccupied. But, Scott and S-Stiles were both there, doing their best to help me. Stiles is the one that walked me here," Erica admitted, hands tangling in said boy's red hoodie. "I didn't really get to tell him thanks… he didn't laugh at me or act weird."

Isaac cracked a smile, "Yea, Stiles is good like that. He knows what it's like to be treated different."

Erica looked up at Isaac, eyes wide, "He told me that, about what happened in grade school. Kids are cruel."

Isaac nodded his head, although he was a bit surprised his brother had shared that memory with her. Stiles hated reminding people about his anxiety attacks, even if it's been a few years since he's had one.

"Hey Nurse Hannah, is it okay for Erica to head to lunch now?" Boyd wondered. Erica didn't usually want to eat so soon after a seizure, but he knew she didn't want to be sitting in the nurse's office either.

"Well, you're going to be with her right Boyd?" she asked in turn.

"I'll be with her for lunch and then 4th period, but we have different 5th period classes."

Nurse Hannah looked Erica over one more time, "She'll be fine by then, if nothing happens before that."

Erica quietly thanked the nurse and slid off the cot, letting her two friends lead her out of the office. "Do… Isaac, do you think Stiles would get mad if I borrowed this? At least until after school?"

He looked down at her and saw she was holding up the red sweatshirt, a small flush to her cheeks. "No, he won't mind," Isaac answered, a slight smile on his face.

Isaac pulled Erica into a hug before he made his way into the cafeteria while Boyd and Erica went to their usual table outside. As he entered he winced, wow, everyone was talking super loud today- they needed to calm down a bit. He dropped down between both of his brothers and put his head on the table, hands covering his ears.

"Dude, you got a headache or something?" Scott asked.

"No, but I will soon if all these people don't tone it down a tad, why are they talking so loud?" Isaac grumbled.

Stiles and Scott looked at each other, confused; it wasn't really louder today than any other day. Must be the start of a migraine or something, he was prone to some bad ones every once in awhile.

"Want some Advil or something? I got some in my locker," Stiles offered.

Isaac sat up and shook his head, "Naw, I'll get through it." Isaac stole a few fries off of Scott's tray and closed his eyes, trying to muffle the voices around him.

"Oh my god, Allison is sitting with Lydia!" Scott declared suddenly, causing Isaac to wince again.

"What? Oh man, she's so lucky! First day here and already she's friends with Lydia. Why must beautiful people flock together? Now you really don't have a chance dude, Lydia won't let her come within 10 feet of us," Stiles complained.

"Says you, she had no problem talking with me in English today. I just got to play it cool," Scott countered. His brothers just laughed at him, Scott shrugged, "I can play it cool if I need to! Maybe… Can't hurt to try right?"

*Lydia's Table*

"Jackson, meet my new best friend, Allison Argent. She just moved to Beacon Hills over break," Lydia introduced as she pulled the brunette down next to her.

Jackson glanced up from his crappy lunch and looked her over, "Hi, Jackson, captain of the lacrosse team and the swim team. We have second together right?"

"Isn't my boyfriend the best," Lydia gushed, stressing the word boyfriend and fixing Jackson with a pointed stare. Seriously, sometimes he acted like he didn't want to be dating her, especially when he checked out other girls like that.

"Yea, nice to officially meet you," Allison returned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He hadn't said anything to her but had offered her a flirty smile in Geometry and now she finds out he's Lydia's boyfriend, great.

"That's Danny, Jackson's best friend, goalie on the team, band geek, gay," Lydia continued to introduce. "Next to him is Dylan, his girlfriend Caitlin- they've been together for 3 years now, then we have Adam, a junior and the team sweetheart. And finishing up the table is Jordan and Cory- Jordan is just a freshman but he's shown a lot of promise so Jackson lets him sit with us. Cory, he's here because Tyler got himself on Jackson's bad side and got booted to the secondary table."

Allison looked over Jackson's shoulder, where Lydia was pointing to another table; she could tell that most of the boys at this table were close friends as well. It looked like the lacrosse team kept things to themselves, at least the older players. There was no way the entire team fit at two tables, so the new players, or maybe the 'losers,' had to find their own friends.

"Lydia, I doubt Allison needed to know I'm gay, that's not really a key part of my personality or anything," Danny said, surprised at the introduction. "The way you said it makes me sound super flamboyant or something, so she has to prepare herself."

Lydia smiled, "Nonsense, that's not how I meant it at all. You're one of my good friends, and not just because you're my boyfriend's best friend. If Allison might have an issue with homosexuals, I'd want to know sooner than later."

Allison flushed and looked around the table, "No, I don't, I'm uh, perfectly fine with that." Why would she have a problem with that? After all, she was bisexual, but well, she didn't really want to tell them that just yet.

"Good, then no problem," Lydia called out.

Allison offered an apologetic smile to Danny, even if he was openly gay with the others at the table, it must be annoying to get introduced like that to some new girl. Hence why she didn't exactly feel comfortable opening up about her own sexuality just yet. Danny smiled back at her, knowing it wasn't her fault- Lydia would do as Lydia pleased. And to him, her explanation made sense so he couldn't really be mad at her for that.

*Outside*

"Boyd, I'm worried about my seizures, I feel like they're getting worse, and they make me feel like a freak!" Erica complained. She had put on the hoodie and was slumped over the table, trying to make herself small.

Boyd sighed heavily, not really having anything to say to her that could cheer her up; they'd had this conversation a few times before. "Hopefully this time the doctor will find the right medicine for you. And at least now you know that Stiles isn't like the other kids that are laughing at you."

Erica hugged the sweatshirt closer to her, "I never thought he would, Stiles is a nice guy. I'm just glad he didn't completely freak out. God, that was so embarrassing, having an episode like that in the only class I share with him! Not before or after- life hates me."

Boyd pulled his friend into a one-armed hug, "Life doesn't hate you, it's just showing you that maybe you should get to know Stiles. Obviously he won't run away from you because of your epilepsy."

"We aren't even really friends, who knows how he really feels about my epilepsy. For all we know he's in there saying a silent prayer that he and his brothers don't have it." Erica pulled the hood up over her messy blonde hair and lay forward onto the table once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, went from following just the boys to a bunch of different characters! Yay! I'm adding a few OC's to this story, but only one major one, Ran. Other than her, I'm trying to add in some lacrosse players and give them at least a little history, so you aren't all reading about the same few all the time. This gives me a few different guys to mention and whatnot. Ran on the other hand, is going to serve a bigger role in the story, but I'm slowly introducing her. For those of you that have read my story Newcomers, you'll already be familiar with Ran's character. She's pretty much going to be the same, except for the fact she won't be a mini-Werewolf XD I'm thinking of keeping her Human in this fic. I just like her character and I'm trying to incorporate more, diverse things into my writing and Ran (for those that don't know yet, a bit of a spoiler) is someone who communicates via ASL. She isn't deaf or mute, but her parents are deaf and don't speak, so Ran grew up in a quiet home.
> 
> Also, I'm not 100% on who will be dating who just yet. I like the idea of Stiles/Erica, since I usually write Boyd/Erica, I was thinking of mixing it up a bit. I like Stydia pairings, but I also love the idea of Erica/Stiles, so I'm leaning in that direction, sorry to all the Stydia fans. Plus, I made Allison Bi in this fic, and I'm not sure where I'm going to take that just yet. Please feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts, I'm always open to discussion!


	5. Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys finish up classes and then have lacrosse tryouts. Something sets Isaac off and he has a hard time reining in his anger.

*Fourth Period English 3*

Lydia took her usual seat, front and center, ready to start class; she had been happy when Ms. Morrell had jumped her up to the next level of English, and Miss McCurdy had them reading interesting books, not boring ones. An even bigger plus was, she was the only sophomore in the class, so she didn't have to worry about Jackson or his friends seeing how much she applied herself. While there were upperclassmen on the team, she lucked out and didn't have any of them in classes with her.

"Okay class, let's start off this semester on the right foot, here are your tests from last semester. The ones I promised to get back to you all. Note to self, don't make the tests so long and they'll be easier to grade."

The class cheered, hoping this meant that the tests would be shorter now- as it was, they had to push themselves to answer the questions adequately enough.

Miss McCurdy gave her students a scary smile, "Instead that just means we'll have _more_ tests that are shorter!" The students groaned in unison. "I don't know why that's a bad thing, more tests means they won't be weighed as heavily, and those are even fewer days for us to read in class. I know how all of you just love reading aloud to each other. Or, if you prefer, we can just write more essays instead?"

Many of the students called out for more tests, at least those they could do in class period, writing essays took up a lot more time! Lydia rolled her eyes, leave it to them to rather regurgitate information than actually exercise their brains for a paper. As long as they read the book and followed along with the class discussions, they would get a passing grade on the tests. Only students like her, who actually put thought and interpretation into their answers, got the high grades.

"What, 98%? I knew I should have gone into more detail about the ties of familial love," Lydia mumbled to herself as she looked over her test on Kindred. Next to her she heard a slight huff of laughter, causing her to look up at her neighbor. Beside her, Ran was proudly holding up her test, showing off a neat 100%. "Ugh, this is the second time you've bested me on a test! Soak it up now, because it won't happen again!"

Ran just slung her long black hair over her shoulder and continued to read through Miss McCurdy's remarks. It wasn't her fault that the sophomore wanted to turn this into a competition; as it was, Lydia had only gotten a better score than her once. Every other time they both got 100%, it was refreshing to know that there were other students in class that wanted to learn.

Lydia narrowed her eyes, not liking the smug look on the girl's face; it was bad enough that they were competing in the beauty department. Ran's natural Asian features, and small spattering of freckles, intrigued the boys in class, more than Lydia's own fair skin. Lydia knew they were fetishizing her looks though, like she was something exotic, and that wasn't Ran's fault. Really, one couldn't compare two girls like them, because as beautiful as Lydia knew she was, she was also able to admit that Ran was breath-taking, just with different features. Plus, she'd never be comfortable in coming to school with no make-up like her classmate, her make-up made her feel powerful. Lydia sighed and tucked her test into her bag, here she was thinking about various standards of beauty when she should be getting her notes ready. She'd completely own Ran on this next test, or her name wasn't Lydia Martin.

*Fourth Period Biology*

Danny sat down at his seat by the windows, Jackson falling into the chair behind him. He liked that he was able to sit with his friend in his class, unlike in Chemistry. After he'd gotten all of his stuff out he spun around in his chair to face Jackson. "So, seems like you and Lydia are in a bit of a rough spot?" Danny mentioned with a smirk on his face. It wasn't anything new with them, they'd been dating since freshman year after all; they'd hit a few bumps now and then. Especially since Jackson was the hot captain, and despite being in a relationship, girls still tried to get with him; Jackson had been good about turning them down though.

Jackson shook his head wearily, "It's Lydia, she gets all angry if I don't introduce myself as her boyfriend first thing. But you notice she didn't introduce me as her boyfriend, just Jackson."

"Well, that's because she doesn't want to become the clingy girlfriend, so she's giving you the chance to step up and be the guy willing and wanting to admit he's with her. I know you Jackson, you'd be pissed if she went around telling everyone she spoke to that you were her boyfriend. She doesn't want to be _that girl_ , so instead she's hoping you'll step up to the plate and show you're just as committed to this as she is," Danny explained. "Besides, you were openly checking out Allison, right in front of her."

"Speaking of, she is pretty hot, it's nice to have a little new blood around school. So what if I don't always own up to being her boyfriend. You know for a fact I've never cheated on her, and almost the whole school knows we're an item. So I didn't immediately tell Allison, I don't get why she gets so huffy about it."

Danny gave his friend a look, knowing class would start soon, "And did you say anything about being taken to Allison in your 2nd period?"

Jackson just gave Danny his signature smile before picking up his pencil and nodding to the front of the class. Danny rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, that was typical Jackson. Sometimes, he couldn't believe that his friend was such a player, but… he was a loyal player (which yea, was a complete oxymoron) so at least he didn't have to be Lydia's shoulder to cry on.

*Fifth Period Algebra 2(B)*

Isaac nudged Stiles as they made their way down to the first floor, "Thanks for letting Erica borrow your sweatshirt, that was nice of you."

"Well, I didn't exactly mean to, I mean, I had folded it up for a pillow, you know- during the um, episode. Then I guess she held onto it when I took her to the nurse. But, I'm glad it's helping her,"

The two of them made their way into class, quieting down as Mrs. Duff gave them a look, she wasn't much for chatter in her classroom. Stiles sat behind Isaac and sighed, this was one class he really didn't miss; at least he had Isaac in class with him though, that was a plus.

Isaac leaned over to his left, "Hey Ran, um, I didn't do anything to piss you off right?"

She turned and looked at him, head tilted; she shook her head. What made him think that? They hardly even interacted, how could he have time to do anything to piss her off.

"It's just, you never really say anything to me, even though I try to spark a conversation," he explained, looking down at his hands, suddenly feeling nervous under her intense stare.

"Dude, seriously?" Stiles asked from behind him, snickering quietly. "Ran doesn't talk to anyone." He turned to Ran and waved, holding his fist up to his chest and moving it in a small circle, then he made a flatten 'O' shape with his left and circled it with his right pointer finger. Lastly he made a sort of 'L' shape against his forehead, then moved it to his other hand, both with their pointer fingers extended, giving Isaac a pointed stare.

Isaac looked between the two of them, confused as to what was happening. In response to whatever it was Stiles had communicated, Ran smiled and said something back. He watched as she held up her hand in a high-five shape and tapped her thumb to her chest a few times. Then she put her first two fingers on her chin and bent her knuckles to make a fist, shy smile on her face, pointing to Isaac after.

Stiles laughed and clapped his brother on the shoulder, "She isn't mad at you, not even close."

"What did you say to her?" Isaac asked, feeling completely left out and confused.

"I said 'sorry about my brother' because you clearly haven't had time to learn about Ran. She takes class seriously so I'm not surprised she hasn't taken the time to explain." He then turned to Ran and made two fists, holding them out at elbow height and pumped them a few times, then pointed to himself with a raised brow (May I?). After Ran nodded, Stiles turned back to Isaac, "Her parents are both deaf, and only her Dad took speech therapy lessons. So she grew up in a quiet house and doesn't talk much herself, she prefers to sign and all her teachers know that. But she's not mad, she said it was fine, and that she thinks you're cute."

Isaac flushed and looked back at Ran but she was already looking forward and had her hair falling over her shoulder like a curtain. "Wait, what?"

Stiles couldn't help but laugh at Isaac's face, "Dude, she probably just didn't realize you were trying to be her friend. But now you know."

"Okay, thanks for explaining, but how did you know?" Isaac demanded to know.

"Remember last year, when I bit off more than I could chew, and signed up for Earth Science as well as Astronomy? Ran was in Astronomy with me, and she was the one that completely saved my ass!"

Isaac's eyes widened, he remembered that; he also remembered teasing Stiles for it since he always went over to his 'study-buddy's' house and never had her come over. He thought maybe Stiles was finally getting over Lydia but Stiles laughed that explanation off. Before he could ask any more questions though, Mrs. Duff started class, immediately calling attention to the board. So apparently he'd have to get Stiles to teach him some sign language, to show Ran he wasn't a complete dunderhead. Stiles's sudden obsession with ASL last year also made perfect sense, now that he had the full picture.

*After School*

"Wow, the first day back is always so long," Stiles complained as he stepped out of the school, Scott on his heels. "All that is left now is the lacrosse thingy and we're home free!"

"Right, like the 'lacrosse thingy' isn't important," Scott muttered, trying to pump himself up.

Isaac, Erica, and Boyd all came out the front doors, Isaac waving to the boys, "Hey, thanks for waiting. Are you ready for tryouts?"

"Hell yea!" Scott cheered.

Stiles rolled his eyes, "More or less, but the odds are definitely _not_ in my favor."

Isaac nodded for Scott to start making his way to the field, knowing that Erica wanted a moment, semi-alone with Stiles. Boyd encouraged Erica with the slightest of pushes as he walked behind her, moving to the parking lot.

She took a deep breath and stepped forward, feeling her cheeks warming already. "Th-thanks for letting me borrow your hoodie, I'm sure you didn't realize I took it," Erica stammered out, hands twisting in front of her.

"Did it help? I mean, I know I put the hood up in class when I'm feeling like I want to be invisible," Stiles asked, easily noticing the hood despite the clear skies.

Erica smiled up at him, "Yea, it really did help. Especially since no one knew I had it, they've never seen me in it so I totally confused them."

As she started to pull her arms out of the sleeves, another group of lacrosse players walked by, some of the first-stringers, Jackson included. When they saw the two of them talking, they all started snickering, Andrew suddenly calling out. "Hey, look at that, two losers in love- how quaint!"

"Yea, about time you found someone that's in your league Stilinski, so stop obsessing over _my_ girlfriend!" Jackson called out.

Stiles's hands curled into fists as he saw Erica flinch and slump her shoulders forward, trying to make herself smaller. He turned towards the group of guys, "I don't care that you call me a loser, but you have no right calling Erica one! Take it back!"

"How sweet, first he lets her wear his ratty hoodie, and now he's sticking up for her. It must be love… that or Stiles is really desperate to finally drop his v-card," Andrew laughed.

Before Stiles could get over the shock of what was just said, Jackson led the boys away, towards the field. He started to walk after them, intent on making them eat their words (and, probably get his ass beat, but he wasn't going to let that comment go); then he heard Erica sniffling. "Hey, hey don't listen to them, they are absolute fuckboys, they just want to make everyone around them feel like shit. It tricks them into thinking they aren't as empty on the inside," Stiles whispered, setting his hands on Erica's shoulders.

Erica let out a sob and threw her arms around Stiles's torso, burying her face into his shoulder. His arms automatically wrapped around her smaller frame, gently pulling her closer.

"I'm sorry they said those things in front of you. If it was just me, they could poke fun if they wanted, but you didn't do anything to deserve this."

She took a step back and furiously wiped at the tears running down her cheek, "You don't deserve it either! Jackson and his friends are despicable little cockroaches!"

From a few yards away, Isaac had paused, easily hearing what comments had been made about his brother and his friend. His fists were shaking by his side and he was clenching his jaw tightly.

"Hey, Isaac what's wrong?" Scott asked, noticing that he had stopped walking. "Whoa, dude, did I say something to make you mad?" he asked, seeing the look of pure anger on Isaac's face.

"No, you did nothing wrong, but Andrew, he's dead. You didn't hear what he said?"

Scott shook his head, confused, "Andrew didn't even walk by us."

"No, but he walked by Stiles and Erica. I heard what he said, and he's going to pay for it," Isaac growled, stomping over to the locker rooms. As soon as he was on the field, he was going to make sure Andrew was sitting this season out!

As Isaac stormed off, Scott turned back to see Stiles ushering Erica along, tucked under his shoulder. When they caught up with Scott, Stiles offered a quick explanation. "Jackson and his friends are disgusting, I won't repeat what they said but they are going to pay. Even if Coach kicks me off the team, I'm giving this my all. I asked and Erica said she wanted to be there to watch."

"Well, normally only Lydia and a few other girlfriends come, I don't want them being nasty to you to," Scott mentioned, worried about the girl tucked under Stiles's arm.

"I'll be sitting with her," a voice called out. The three of them turned and saw Boyd walking over. "I don't know what was said, but I looked up and saw Erica crying, so I'm not just going to go home."

"Well, Isaac is already on the rampage, he said he heard what Andrew said so, you aren't the only one that is looking for pay back. We've got your back!" Scott affirmed.

With one final nod to Erica, Stiles and Scott took off to the locker room, needing to get ready. Boyd led his friend over to the bleachers, arm around her shoulders protectively. He moved them so they were sitting furthest away from the other girls, ignoring their happy chittering.

"You sure you want to be here?" Boyd asked.

"Stiles stood up for me, when he could have thrown me under the bus, or even just stayed quiet. I want to support him, at least the little that I can, by being here to watch him play."

Boyd smiled at his friend, "Just wanted to make sure. I'll be here the whole time, making sure none of them try and mess with you."

Erica nudged him, "Thanks." She held her breath as the three brothers came out of the locker room- Stiles and Isaac both had matching expressions on their faces. Scott at least looked a little excited about the tryouts, so Erica hoped he got on the team. She didn't know much about the sport, she never watched last year, so she didn't know how many kids were allowed on the team. When Jackson called out a nasty remark to the boys, Erica scowled and leaned closer to Boyd- he was a total jerk!

"Boys, are you all ready? Gather around, tryouts start now, impress me!" Coach called out. As the boys all gathered around, he gave out a small pep talk, letting the boys know what he was looking for and which drills to run. He kept his talk short so Boyd assumed that they'd gone over all of this during the conditioning period before break.

Lydia turned toward Allison, "If you couldn't tell, lacrosse is the big sport at this school, so if you are looking for a boyfriend at all, these are the stars of the school. Just know that numbers 4, 5, 17, 21, and 37 are taken."

Allison offered a weak smile in response… she wasn't really looking for a boyfriend right now, she just moved here. She didn't really need any drama that came with a boyfriend so soon after starting here. But still, that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate a look or two. "Well, just off the bat, I think 11 is kinda cute, who's that?"

The girls around her snickered, and Caitlin was the one to speak up, "That's Scott, I'll admit he's kinda got a puppy look going, but trust us, stay away."

"Yea, he's a bit of a loser, him and the oldest brother, major losers! The only one that has some worth is Isaac, and that's because he's a good player. But he hangs around with losers too, like, those two," Ashley added on, with a side glance at the two further down on the bleachers.

Allison frowned, that wasn't very nice, she could already tell that Ashley wasn't going to be her friend; judgmental people like that didn't deserve a spot in her circle of friends. Just because some people didn't get accepted into the popular circle, didn't make them losers or horrible people.

Lydia sighed, "Scott isn't a great player, although he is cute. But the girls are right, he doesn't offer up much. Plus him and his brothers are always getting into trouble so you wouldn't want to get involved with them. Not even Isaac, the most acceptable of the three- they are thick as thieves, so if you get involved with one, the other two are tagging along. Maybe… Adam Pierce, he's a good guy, he's sweet, and he's first string."

"He seemed nice enough at lunch," was all Allison offered. She tuned out their chatter as the boys all started to stretch and warm up, this was going to be a long practice if she was already being told who she could and could not cheer for. Still, her eyes strayed to Scott a few times and even Isaac; socially acceptable or not, they were cute.

"Woo, show 'em what you got Jackson!" Lydia called out from the other side of the bleachers as they got ready.

When Jackson looked over, Erica hunkered down in the hoodie, not wanting him to spot her, but her and Boyd stuck out like a sore thumb. She felt more tears sting her eyes as he called Andrew over, pointing at them and snickering.

Andrew cupped a hand around his mouth, "Hey Stilinski, better watch out, looks like your loser girlfriend is already moving on. Guess she figured out how bad you are, came to watch you fail with her new man."

"Shut your mouth!" Isaac spat out, taking a few steps towards Andrew. Scott and Stiles grabbed his shoulders, telling him to wait. But he was pissed. "Andrew doesn't get to say that about my friend, or my brother!"

"We're all tired of his crap, but he's one of the best players dude… So you know Coach is going to let him get away with the nasty remarks," Scott mumbled.

Stiles crossed his arms over his chest, "Yea, he won't step in unless bruises start forming, and sadly, all of them know the rules. But he won't get away with it, even if I get kicked off the team."

The three of them joined the line-ups, ready to start the drills; Scott was twirling the crosse in his hands, hoping all of his extra practicing was going to pay off, Isaac had a death grip on his crosse and was staring daggers at Andrew, and Stiles was taking some deep breaths, trying to come up with some scheme that would be worthy of Andrew's remarks.

As the minutes ticked by, Isaac felt his rage increasing, he hadn't found the time to strike and he was getting annoyed. But a few drills later and he saw his chance, until Stiles stepped in front of him, taking his place in the line-up.

"Sorry Isaac, I know she's your friend and all but I'm not letting you risk your spot on the team over scum like Andrew."

Isaac grit his teeth, there was no way what Stiles was planning was going to be enough! But he held in his growl and watched as his older brother raced towards Andrew, who was playing defense. Then Isaac watched as Stiles cleverly tripped himself up and went sailing through the air, he crashed to the ground in front of Andrew and rolled, sending the end of his stick right into Andrew's inner thigh. He heard Erica gasp from the stands, worried about Stiles, but Isaac knew better. To anyone else, it would just seem like the hyperactive kid lost control of his flailing limbs, but Stiles never tripped. Only Scott was capable of clumsiness on that level, and Stiles had copied it perfectly.

"Ouch dude, is that what I look like all the time?" Scott asked from a few places behind him. Scott had noticed it too, but luckily for Stiles, no one else thought twice about his sudden lack of grace.

Andrew cursed and rubbed his thigh, "Dude, control your feet, you just gave me a freaking Charlie horse!"

"Sorry, my bad… I need to retie my laces or something. Sorry!" Stiles called out, the smirk on his face telling the boy just how sorry he really was. He knew he was safe, since as far as Coach could tell, that was an honest stumble. As Stiles made his way to the back of the line-up, Isaac heard Jackson tell Andrew something.

"That loser thinks he's the only one that can play that game? Let's make his life hell!"

The boys directly behind Isaac shifted as he started growling; now that Andrew was taking his place in the group, Isaac would just have to start with Jackson. Lucky for him, Jackson was in the goal, giving Danny a bit of a break- perfect. Isaac hefted the ball in his net and charged, easily sweeping past Jordan's defense with a burst of speed. He torqued his arm and put as much power into the throw that he could; there was a resounding thud as it slammed into Jackson's stomach and knocked him off his feet.

Over on the stands, Lydia jumped to her feet, gasping as she watched Jackson fall; Erica and Boyd had to hold in their laughter at the same time. Jackson's groans of pain could be heard all the way across the field as the players huddled around him.

"Wow, Isaac, maybe you should hold back, just a little bit huh?" Coach said over his shoulder as he kneeled down over Jackson.

Isaac sighed out a typical response, "Sorry Coach, I guess I didn't realize my own strength after all my conditioning."

"Well, good news is I don't think you broke anything. Why don't you go sit on the bench Jackson, get your breath back. You know you have a spot on the team, since you won the spot of captain last year. Pierce, Mardon, help him out, the rest of you back to the drills."

Isaac cursed under his breath, too bad he didn't break anything, maybe ruptured his spleen or something, Mom was always telling them how nasty those cases were. But it would have to do until he could get to Andrew, and he had to make sure Andrew got seriously hurt. He made sure that he was lined up properly with his enemy this time, no one really expecting any further backlash. After a few more rounds of the drills, he had his chance. Isaac was playing offense again, Danny back in the goal and Andrew was defending.

"Perfect," Isaac snarled. He caught the ball in his net and pushed forward, passing the ball to his partner until they got to the defense line. With a powerful glance, he let his partner know that he wanted the ball to score, no questions. He caught the small ball and feinted around Andrew, easily throwing his arm back to score. This time when he released, he put all of the force into the back end of his crosse, effectively slamming into Andrew's knee as he came up behind him. His scream of agony caused Danny to flinch and Isaac scored, victorious grin on his face as the boy fell to the ground.

"Stevenson! Hey, Stevenson, how bad is it?" Coach asked, putting his hand just above Andrew's knee.

"God, it hurts! I think I tore something," Andrew gasped, curled up in a ball.

Andrew, let's get you to the nurse, we might need an ambulance," Dylan said, crouching down next to his friend.

Coach nodded his head, "Yea, Jackson, you help, might as well have the nurse check you out too. Keep me informed." He looked around for Isaac but he was nowhere to be found, none of the Stilinski brothers were in sight. He needed to make sure nothing was going on with Isaac, he'd managed to hurt 2 players in the span of 10 minutes.

*Inside the Locker Room*

"Isaac, whoa, calm down, come here," Scott called out, trying to grab Isaac's arm as he tore through the locker room.

"Bro, what's going on? Talk to us, please," Stiles asked.

"What do you want to know?" Isaac spat out, slamming himself onto one of the benches. "He insulted you and Erica, and then he was planning with Jackson to make your life hell Stiles. I won't stand for that!"

Carefully, Stiles sat down beside Isaac; it wasn't like him to be angry like this, he was always to quiet one. "Isaac, what's going on man? I mean, obviously you're mad, hella mad but… Andrew's knee is- how did you do that?"

"I don't know, I just hit him when I made my shot, must have hit him in a weak spot."

"And Jackson?" Scott asked, sitting on Isaac's other side.

Isaac gave him a dangerous smile, "I got a surge of rage and hit him as hard as I could. He deserved it."

"Sure, he did, but you raced off the field the minute Andrew hit the grass," Stiles mentioned.

"I'm just, trying to calm down. I was ready to just jump on his and start throwing punches. There was just this… rage inside me, so I ran," Isaac whispered.

Scott and Stiles looked at each other, surprised and taken back- Isaac had almost been violent? Isaac whimpered quietly and pulled his knees up to his chest, tears welling up in his eyes.

"What if I'm turning into my dad? My… my biological dad?" Isaac wondered aloud, eyes staring blankly. "What if... what if all that anger, did I inherit that?"

Scott shook his head, "No way dude, Jackson and Andrew, they just pushed you over the edge today. You are nothing like him."

"Are you sure? I've never felt anything like this before."

"The fact that you realized how mad you were and ran off, you stopped yourself from doing anything more. That proves you're better than your dad ever was. And now you're questioning your anger, you know that it doesn't feel right," Stiles explained, putting an arm around Isaac.

Isaac turned into the touch, burying his face in Stiles's shoulder and making himself as small as he could. Scott laid his cheek on Isaac's back, letting him know they were there for him. None of them spoke for a few minutes, just comforting each other as Isaac's heart finally slowed down. A few minutes later they all jumped as the locker room door opened and Coach called out to them.

"Stilinski, you in here?"

"Which one?" Stiles called out, ever the sarcastic pain in Coach's side.

"Where there's one, there's three," Coach mumbled. If Stiles was in here, he was bound to be with his brothers. "What happened out there?" he asked, turning the corner to see Isaac's distraught face.

"I didn't… I…" Isaac stammered out. He couldn't say he didn't mean to, because he did- he had wanted to hurt Andrew. He didn't really know what to say to Coach, although he was feeling guilty about it now.

"Andrew's going to need surgery, she said maybe a torn meniscus, or possibly a LCL tear. If it's just a meniscal tear, he'll be back on his feet in a few months, but if it's an LCL he'll be out for the season," Coach explained.

Isaac paled, "I hit him that hard?" He remembered thinking that he wanted Andrew to pay, to sit on the bench, but now he needed surgery, and he was the cause of it. He moaned in distress and covered his face with his hands, Isaac was preparing himself to get kicked off the team.

"What happened out there Isaac?" Coach Finstock asked.

Isaac bit his lip, knowing he couldn't tell the whole truth, "Well, I was focusing on what you said about reining in my strength… I was trying to get the ball past Danny without throwing it full speed. I.. I knew Andrew was behind me but.. I also kinda zoned you know? Like I didn't realize he was that close to me. I put more control into my throw and I aimed, adding the flick at the end, and that was when I hit him. I had thought maybe I hit him in the thigh, since I know that hurts like crazy. But then I saw him curled up on the ground and I freaked… he was hurt bad, because of me. I'm sorry…"

Finstock saw the look of anguish on Isaac's face and couldn't really yell at him for it, not when it seemed like a freak accident. "Well, depending on what exactly is wrong with Andrew's knee, I might have to bench you for a few games, accident or not. Which sucks because you're one of the starting players; why don't you take some of this new found energy and practice with Scott some more, he's showing some great improvement from last year."

"No praise for me?" Stiles asked, looking insulted.

"You tripped over your own feet and managed to hurt a teammate, you're lucky I'm even thinking about keeping you on the team. You're better than some of the other guys trying out, so at least you aren't the worst player this year," Coach told him.

Stiles held his hands up and smiled at his brothers, "See, look at that, a compliment! I am improving!"

"Yea, whatever, go ahead and change, I'm excusing you three from the rest of tryouts. Get out of my hair, and please, try not to hurt anyone else!" Coach sighed before walking back out to the field.

As soon as he was gone, Stiles let out a sigh of relief, "Dudes, we're in the clear. And by some miracle Coach is letting me stay on the team. Let's get out of here!"

Scott and Isaac chuckled as they stood up to get dressed, things could have gone much worse that was for sure. When they got out of the locker room, they saw that Coach was still working the other boys hard for the remaining spots on the team, good luck to them.

"You didn't get kicked off the team did you?" Erica asked, running over to them.

"No, although I might be benched for a few games; no biggie, it was worth it," Isaac explained. "Coach just excused us from the rest of practice so we don't hurt anyone else."

Erica frowned, "You guys really didn't have to go that far, I mean I know you like playing lacrosse."

Isaac pulled Erica into a hug, "You are my friend, I care for you and he made you cry. That's unforgivable, and now he's paying for it."

"Yea, no regrets on my end either," Stiles added on, rubbing Erica's back. "Like I said before, you didn't deserve what they said about you."

"Coach said I've improved from last year, he noticed! I'm so happy!" Scott cried out, unable to stop himself.

"Couldn't hold in the good news, eh Scotty?" Stiles laughed, along with Boyd and Erica.

"Well at least he knows how to lighten the mood, even if it wasn't his intent," Isaac tacked on.

Erica blushed a bit and looked back down at her toes, "Well I guess if you boys are excused from practice now, there is no point in us staying."

"Did, did you two need a ride?" Stiles asked.

"No, Boyd has his mom's car today, but thanks!" Erica answered. It would be just too much if Stiles dropped her off at the house, way too embarrassing.

Stiles smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Okay then, see you tomorrow. And thanks for coming to watch us play… it was nice knowing that there were two people in the stands that weren't totally invested in us failing."

Erica waved and walked off with Boyd, before she could say or do anything to embarrass herself in front of the boys. It wasn't until she climbed into the passenger seat that she realized, once again, that she'd made off with Stiles's hoodie.

"Oh God, he's going to think I'm doing this on purpose," Erica moaned.

Boyd just rolled his eyes, "No he won't, Stiles won't mind if you just return it to him in the morning. If he really wanted it, he would have remembered to ask for it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introduced Ran a bit more in this chapter, getting in interactions with a few of the main characters. Felt like it was important to see Lydia act like her true self, when she didn't have anyone around that she was "pretending" around. Also, I know IRL Gage and Dylan don't have that much of a height difference, but I like writing Erica a bit shorter than Stiles, since I'm all about height differences! In this instance, Erica just happens to be the shorter one, I'm not /only/ into pairing where the girl is shorter (or only Hetero couples in general). I just think in this instance, since she's Human (which may or may not change, still undecided), having her shorter, gives her the appearance of being... meeker. Like if I were to have her turn into a Were and become Badass!Erica, it will be that more noticeable when she starts wearing her heeled boots. So, we'll see.


	6. Visiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles takes the boys back out the to Res b.c like an idiot, he dropped his flashlight. Who do they run into while they are looking for it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have them say "dude" a lot XD just be aware of that... I use that word in my own speech and on top of that, they are three teenage boys from Cali, I think it would be an integral part of their vocabulary... I'll try to not over do it XD

*Stilinski House*

"Oh crap, dudes… we have to go back to the Res… My flashlight isn't in my bag," Stiles groaned. "If Dad finds that out there while he's still searching… he'll just _know_ that we broke the rules."

"But I wanted to get a head start on my homework," Isaac complained.

"I can go by myself, I'm just saying… I dropped it when I saw Isaac, all tore up. It's the tactical one Dad got us all last Christmas… he'll know it's one of ours. Well, he'll know it's mine specifically because it has the batman logo on it… I'll be back.

Isaac sighed and dropped his bag on the floor, "Dude, you know we aren't gonna let you go alone, it's still dangerous out there."

"Really, I'll be fine, don't-"

Scott cut him off, "We're going. Let's just hurry and find it so we can get back though. Sound good?"

The other two boys nodded, agreeing that quick was the best way. In moments the three of them were back in the Jeep and driving off. It was only a few minutes before they were back at the entrance of the trail.

"Okay, we didn't really get that far so, it shouldn't be hard to find right?" Stiles asked, mostly to himself.

They all stepped over the chain, feeling at least a little more at ease since… the animal wouldn't just attack them during the day right? Especially since they were _not_ splitting up this time. They made it five minutes before the arguing started.

"Dude, weren't we more west than this?" Isaac asked.

"No, I totally remember this tree," Stiles retorted, pointing to a leaning sapling.

Scott rolled his eyes, "Seriously, a tree, you recognize a tree?"

Stiles shoved his brother, "I do! It reminded me of-"

Isaac cut him off suddenly, "Shh, someone's coming…"

"Someone… or some…thing?" Scott whimpered.

The three of them turned in small circles, keeping their backs to each other to prevent anything from sneaking up on them. It was Isaac that spotted him first, grabbing both of his brothers and turning them in the right direction.

"This is private property, what are you doing here?" a man with brooding eyes and a leather jacket asked.

"Sorry, we thought we were on the Preservation, we're just looking for something," Scott squeaked, this guy looked like he meant business.

"Yea, we're just- Hey, dude, Derek? Is that really you?" Stiles asked, taking a step forward.

Derek frowned, he had hoped they wouldn't recognize him- Laura had told him to keep a low profile; leave it to Stiles to remember him. He needed to get back to Laura so they could work on picking up the Alpha's trail. He pulled the tactical light out of his pocket. "Yea, you dropped this right?" Without waiting for a reply, he threw it over to Stiles, trying to keep a smirk off his face as the boy flailed and attempted to catch it. "Go home."

"But dude, is Laura here, and Cora? Why are you back? I thought you moved…" Stiles called out. But Derek was gone. "Wow, talk about a warm welcome… Mom would be heartbroken to find out they're in town and didn't tell her."

"And _we're_ not going to tell her because then we'd have to admit that we weren't at home doing our work," Scott replied.

Stiles nodded, "Yea I know… Maybe they'll stop by before they leave town. I'm sure Laura at least would love to catch up."

They boys didn't really have time to discuss it more though, they really needed to get back before their mom got home from the hospital; they were cutting it super close as it was. Now that Stiles had his flashlight back, they raced to the Jeep and sped home.

*Hale House*

"Laura, we've got a problem, Isaac was Bitten," Derek said as he entered the burned remains of their childhood home.

The eldest Hale appeared from one of the rooms upstairs, "Isaac? You saw him? Are you sure?"

"Yea, they were wandering the area, looking for the flashlight they left behind. I wasn't planning on going up to them but since we still don't know who the Rogue is, or where, I felt it was best they got home. And of course Stiles recognized me," Derek muttered. "But there was no mistaking Isaac's change of scent. Plus he heard me coming, no other way to explain that."

Laura frowned, "We're going to have to keep an eye on him, all three of them actually; they're all in danger now. I hope they don't tell Melissa… I'm hoping we'll be able to clean this mess up and leave. Beacon Hills is still too... painful."

Cora appeared then, "I don't think it's fair that we don't see them. It's been years since we've been back. And they always sent us holiday cards, they never gave up on us."

"Cora, we talked about this," Derek started to say.

She cut him off, "Laura, you're the Hale Alpha, and this is still Hale property! Why aren't we still protecting Beacon Hills? This is our home… sure, it's got a lot of horrible memories and our old home is gone," she cried out, gesturing to the burned ceiling over their heads. "But I don't want to leave again."

Laura looked between her two siblings, she was feeling torn herself, "We'll talk about it more later. For now, we have more pressing matters. Like making sure Isaac doesn't hurt anyone. And we have to make sure that this Rogue doesn't make any more Betas… He'll be drawn to Isaac and with Stiles and Scott around, that's two more potential Werewolves."

"Why would he attack the boys though? I mean Beacon Hills isn't a huge town, but it's not super small either. There are plenty of people out there that would make stronger Betas," Cora asked.

"Well, teenagers are more impressionable. And they have a lot more potential for growth versus finding a strong adult. But, we can't assume anything. The first person they came across they mauled, so why only bite Isaac?" Derek pointed out.

Cora shrugged and walked away, "Glad I'm not an Alpha, don't have to deal with crap like that."

"Keep an eye on her, she's been itching to go for a run. I'm going to go scouting, get me my damn collar," Laura grumbled. She hated that she had to wear one whenever she felt like transforming but the fact was she was able to track better in her wolf form, and well, she didn't have time to go to the pound if someone called the catcher on her.

Derek nodded and walked away to find her pack, knowing she'd be in the bathroom undressing. He was rather proud of Laura when he found out she'd inherited Mother's rare talent- she really was deserving of being the Alpha. Derek knew he and Cora would have been absolutely lost if she'd died and he was left to be Alpha. As it was, he had a hard time dealing with his Wolf after the fire… He'd had a shaky Anchor since Paige's death and it took all of Talia's love to talk him out of that depression. Then he went and made another huge mistake and all that was left was the three of them. Derek shook his head with a low snarl to clear it, he didn't have time to dwell on the past. Once he'd grabbed the collar, giving Derek's cell as contact information, he let Laura out of the bathroom.

"Howl if you need us," he told her, crouching down and fixing it around her neck. She licked his cheek in reassurance before trotting down the stairs and out the front door.

"Why is she going out like that Der? It's dangerous," Cora whispered.

"She needs to find the Rogue and deal with him before he kills anyone else. She tracks better like that."

"But… I've been listening in on conversations when I went to town… they are thinking that some kind of monster is responsible for the killing."

Derek looked at her, "Well they aren't wrong."

Cora scowled, "You know what I mean though. They already ruled out bears and mountain lions. Laura is a pretty large wolf, and they are suspecting some kind of vicious canine. What if they shoot her!"

He walked over to his younger sister and hugged her, "Laura is going to be careful. She'll know if anyone is closer to her, either by scent or heartbeat. She won't let herself be spotted, and if she does come across any humans, she'll be completely docile. No one would think that she'd be the killer."

"I'm just worried, I don't want to lose either of you," Cora whispered into Derek's shoulder.

*Stilinski House*

The boys were all gathered in Stiles's room, as usual, attempting to do their homework. Well Isaac and Scott were at least trying, Stiles was spinning around in his computer chair thinking about the Hales.

"Do you think Laura and Cora are both here too, or just Derek? Why do you think he's in town anyways? It's not… the, you know… anniversary is it?"

"Okay seriously, stop spinning in the chair, that squeaking noise is driving me insane!" Isaac interrupted, clamping his hands over his ears.

Scott sat up on the bed, "Dude, what's going on? You were complaining about it being loud at lunch too."

"Are you okay? I mean… this morning, you heard a conversation through a window, we can't forget about that either," Stiles added, looking at Isaac with concern.

Isaac shook his head, "I don't know man… I've felt weird ever since this morning… Maybe it has something to do with the attack? Like, you know an adrenaline rush or something? I seriously doubt that my hearing just improved overnight. Plus… oh man, this is super awkward but…"

"Go on, tell us, we won't judge. It's more important we figure out what's going on with you," Stiles said, grabbing his laptop and putting it on his lap.

"Well, I can… I can smell better too. Like before heading to lunch, I knew they were serving meatloaf today, all the way from Econ…"

Scott laughed, "Well no wonder you didn't buy lunch. Too bad you didn't warn me, I could have skipped the line."

Isaac rolled his eyes, leave it to Scott to be more worried about the lunch food than what was actually going on with him. "Do you think that adrenaline spikes can last this long? Or be this delayed?"

"Hmm, I think I found something. You said it was a canine kinda creature that bit you?" Isaac nodded. Stiles hit a few more keys on the laptop, "And does raw meat sound really good right now?"

He looked up, "Actually yea… that's not normal right? What did you find?"

Stiles fixed is brother with a very serious look, "According to this, you have Lycanthropy."

"That sounds awful, is there a cure?" Scott cried out, eyes wide.

"You ass!" Isaac scolded, throwing his pen at Stiles. "That's just a fancy way of saying Werewolf Scott, he's not being serious."

"Dude, Stiles, don't play like that, something is really going on with him!"

Stiles couldn't hold the laughter back anymore, "I'm sorry, it just does all fit you know. Close to the full moon, getting attacked at night, super senses; hell, you even had badass strength at practice today. You did mess up Andrew's knee."

Isaac looked down at his work, Stiles did have a point there. "But seriously, Werewolf, right… that's just stupid. Tell me you at least looked up rabies."

"No, it's not rabies," Scott spoke up. Since he was the one working at the animal clinic, he had the most knowledge. "You don't have a fever or nausea, nothing like that."

"But uh, be sure to tell us if you get hydrophobia all of a sudden, that's a pretty big sign of rabies. That and partial paralysis," Stiles tacked on.

"You would know the more off the wall symptoms of rabies Stiles," Isaac sighed. Just in case though, Isaac lifted up his shirt and poked around on his side where the bite was; as far as he could tell, he had full sensation.

They heard a car pull up then and the three boys scrambled to get back to work- Stiles throwing Isaac's pen back to him before sweeping up his math book. When Melissa finally poked her head in a few minutes later, all three of them were hard at work.

"Hey boys, how was your first day? I'm surprised to see you home already, weren't the tryouts today?"

"We did so good, that Coach let us just go home early," Stiles explained, huge smile on his face.

Melissa frowned at him and crossed her arms, "Why am I doubting the sincerity of that story?"

"It's kinda true," Scott offered. "Coach noticed that I was getting better, and Isaac did really well! Coach did say that Stiles was going to make the team too, since he wasn't the worst player out there."

"Really? Then why did he let you out early?"

Isaac looked down at his book, "I hurt Andrew…like, tore something in his knee."

"Is that what happened? I heard the other nurses talking about him, but I didn't have time to see what was going on," Melissa said.

"I didn't mean to, I felt awful afterwards… Coach said I'd probably have to sit out the first few games to make up for it. Since I was feeling bad, he said we could just go, knowing that Stiles was my ride."

She walked into the room and ruffled Isaac's hair, "I'm sure you didn't do it on purpose, Andrew won't be mad at you. We're having chicken tacos for dinner, so hurry up and get busy with the homework so you can tell Dad about your day."

Isaac gave Scott and Stiles a look as Melissa left the room, yea… it wasn't on purpose… Isaac was still feeling uneasy about the rage that had been running through his veins during practice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I know not all of you have tumblr, or may not be following me (totally understand btw, not trying to guilt anyone) I'll post my note here again. Please, if any of you want to make a request or send in an idea for flashbacks, don't hesitate to review/comment or send me something on my tumblr. I'd love to include all sorts of ideas for the flashbacks. It doesn't even have to be about the boys at a super young age, just at any point before *Present day* 16 year old boys.
> 
> 2nd note: I know that it's kinda been talked about how Talia's ability to transform was a very rare ability and that it probably ran in the family, hence how Laura could do it, and Derek finally learned, and it kinda made Peter into that super beast during Season 1. But, I'm kinda sticking with the canon of how Scott said he saw a wolf-like creature attack him (how Peter looked like a 'wolf' to him, I'll never understand but, that's besides the point). Since it kinda plays into them looking into Werewolves and not believing it, Isaac needed to see a 'wolf-like creature' as well. So yea... the Rogue Alpha going around causing issues in BH is kinda wolfish.


	7. Party Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia talks about the party she's having tomorrow and what will Isaac do? He's technically first string so he's invited but, his brothers aren't. Will Allison take anyone as her plus 1?

*Friday Morning*

Isaac stumbled into Scott's room after his alarm went off, his mind was reeling from a nightmare and he felt absolutely exhausted- like he hadn't slept at all. He climbed beside Scott and wrapped his arms around his brother, nuzzling into his neck. Scott mumbled in his sleep, subconsciously curling up closer to the warm body next to him. Isaac was rubbing his cheek against Scott's when the door flew open.

"Come on, Scott are you up, I'm about to go get-" Stiles cut off, opening Scott's door. "I see Isaac is awake."

Instead of answering him, Isaac lifted a hand and waved Stiles over to the bed as well, "Nightmare."

That one word was enough for Stiles to shake off his confusion and walk over to the bed; he was surprised by the desperation that Isaac grabbed him with. Scott squeaked as more weight was added to his bed without him realizing it. Isaac paid him no mind though, just turning slightly so he could nuzzle into Stiles's neck, breathing in his scent to help calm his nerves. Isaac couldn't really explain it but being surrounded by his brothers and their familiar scents just soothed him, washed away the fears from the lingering nightmare.

Scott managed to roll in the bed so he could actually face his brothers, pulling Isaac into a hug, "What was the nightmare about? You haven't had a nightmare in years."

"I just… I was back in the woods and that creature, it was staring at me. I felt… Scott, I felt that rage building up in me again- I wanted to just kill." Isaac curled up into a tighter ball, taking a few deep breaths against Stiles's neck.

Both boys hugged him, squishing him between the two of them, Scott whispering into Isaac's ear, "Dude, you just have a lot going on in your head. It doesn't mean anything, don't worry about it."

"Plus, Andrew will be on the bench for awhile so, it's not like he can do too much to piss you off right?" Stiles added with a laugh.

Isaac smirked, but reminded them, "Well I'm supposed to be on the bench too remember?"

Stiles sat up, pulling Isaac and Scott with him, "Yea, during the games. But Coach'll still have you practicing with us during the week and stuff. And I'll be on the bench with you during the games so I can keep you company. Now come on, we've got to get ready for school. Mom is still asleep and Dad got called in early."

"Seriously? He puts in so much time already, he didn't even come home until dinner…" Scott mumbled.

"Yea I know… he works really hard but, he's the Sheriff so, that's the way it goes. I just hope it wasn't because they found another body…" Stiles whispered.

*School*

"Okay so who do you think made the team?" Stiles asked as he pulled into the lot.

"Don't you mean who didn't make the team, that's a way shorter list. Probably only like, 15 of the guys didn't make the cut- we're going to have a full team this year, Coach should be happy," Isaac commented.

"I think he meant out of all the new players, since really the only returning players that might have been cut were him and Greenburg," Scott whispered.

"Dude, so rude!" Stiles scoffed, shoving Scott a bit.

"Hey guys, wait up a sec," a voice called out to them.

All three of them turned around and looked at the girl standing there, Isaac's eyes going wide. "Cora?"

She smiled at them, "You remembered me! I just um, I wanted to make sure you guys didn't tell your parents about… us being here. It's stupid really, but Laura is- she doesn't like being in town. And if you told your mom, she'd invite us to dinner and everything."

Scott nodded, "That's understandable. We didn't mention it, to either of our parents."

"How long are you in town for?" Stiles asked. Derek's, and now Cora's, sudden appearance made him wonder if they came back to Beacon Hills a few times a year to visit their relatives at the cemetery.

Cora shrugged, "Not really sure… Laura has some business to take care of but we don't really know how long we'll be here ya know? I'm, um actually trying to convince her to stop by and see you guys but no promises. She'd kill me if she found out I stopped by but, I wanted to say hi. We, uh, we got all your holiday cards- they meant a lot to us, even if we never sent any back. It's just not our style, so thanks for sending those."

"Of course, we wanted you guys to know we were thinking of you. It's really nice seeing you, hopefully we'll get to see Laura too before you head back to Sacramento."

"Yea, it's… wow, you've uh, last time we saw each other we were just kids huh?" Isaac mentioned, stumbling over his words.

"A lot can change in 5 years," she agreed. It was weird to see them now, all this time she still saw them as little boys, not even teenagers yet. Isaac had finally sprouted up, he was taller than both of his brothers now. "Well I better let you go, I'm sure you have to stop by your lockers, it was nice seeing you guys. Talk to you later."

They waved as she walked away before heading into the school and to their lockers. Of course, the walk was full of teasing Isaac about his sudden stammering around Cora, much to his dismay. He was just surprised by how much she'd grown was all!

*First Period Algebra 2A*

Erica was doing her best to not fidget as they waited for class to start, she hadn't found Stiles before school so now she had to wait until Chemistry to give him the hoodie back. Which meant Jackson would see, and probably comment on it; Erica flushed just imagining what he might say.

"Hey, Erica, you can always wait until lunch or something, or give it to Isaac during second. You don't have to actually say anything to him," Boyd offered. It wasn't hard to figure out his friend was nervous, he thought it must have something to do with seeing Stiles.

"It's not him I'm worried about. Hell, I've kinda wanted an excuse to talk to him all year," Erica admitted. Too bad it all started because of her epilepsy though. "It's just that, Jackson is in Chem with us and I know he's going to say something again."

Boyd clenched his fists as he recalled what was said the other day. It had taken a lot of convincing but he finally managed to get his friend to tell him what Andrew and Jackson had said about them. Now he wasn't nearly as shocked that Isaac had hurt Andrew to that extent; he knew how much Isaac cared for Erica and Stiles. In fact, if it were up to him, Andrew would be missing a few teeth too.

"I'll just get there early and drop it off at his table or something, it's fine," she decided.

Boyd reached forward and put a comforting hand on Erica's shoulder, giving a slight squeeze before he started taking notes.

*First Period Spanish*

"So, Lydia, you're still having that party right?" Jackson asked.

Lydia smiled at him, "Well of course, Mom's going to be out of town and said that I can have some friends over to keep me company."

Caitlin turned around in her seat, "Does your mom not know about these parties, or just not care?"

"She knows about them, I'm not completely disrespectful. She trusts me to keep all of you in line so you don't destroy the house and get it all back in order before she comes home," Lydia explained.

"Your mom is so cool," Caitlin sighed. "My parents would never let me throw a party."

Lydia flashed another smile, of course her mom was amazing, they were very close. Especially since her dad had pushed the divorce through, now they didn't have to worry about his anal retentive ways, it was just the two of them.

*Second Period Geometry*

Jackson strolled into Geometry and took his seat, spinning to the left so he could face Allison. "So, Lydia's having a party tomorrow, not sure if she thought to mention it to you or not but, you should totally come. I'd love to see you there."

"Tomorrow?" Allison asked. She bit her lip, Jackson kind of seemed like he was crossing a line here- was she just reading too much into it? Her gut was telling her that he was being a little too friendly, and that if Lydia were here, she'd be mad. "I'm not sure, I mean, we're still unpacking and Saturday nights are usually family nights you know?"

"Well, let me know if that changes, I can give you a lift or something," Jackson offered.

She watched as he faced forward in his seat, wondering just what he might be playing at; she was just trying to fit in here and already she was pulled into the 'popular' circle and had this guy sending mixed messages.

*Third Period Chemistry*

Erica took a deep breath as she walked into Chemistry; she'd hurried out of history with only a brief goodbye to the boys. Thankfully she had beaten Jackson here so she hurried over to Stiles's desk and placed the folded up hoodie on his seat; Erica made it to her seat just as Scott and Stiles walked through the door.

"Okay so, you don't have work at all this week right? Since Deaton knows you can't skip the first week of practice. But next week, how are you getting to the clinic?" Stiles asked.

"I have my bike, duh. That was how I did it last semester, except I was missing cross country practice," Scott answered. He put in as many hours as he could then, he wasn't a fan of running long distances. But now he had to talk to Deaton about how to get the most hours while still getting in as much lacrosse as he could.

"Dude, that animal is still out there, why else do you think Dad's spending so much time at work? That one girl was found safe, thank goodness but… what if someone else went missing this morning and that's why Dad left? I'm not going to let you take your bike…"

Scott crossed his arms and leaned against Stiles's desk. "So, I don't have work until next Tuesday, I'm sure the problem will be fixed by then."

"We'll see. But don't think I won't tell Mom and Dad about this stupid idea of yours…"

"Dude, it's not like you'll let me drive the Jeep!"

Stiles's eyes widened, "Of course not, you don't know how to drive stick, you'd hurt her!"

"Stilinskis, sit down and shut your mouth, class is about to start!" Harris called out.

Erica flinched at his harsh tone and she hated the dull look in the boys' eyes; at least that went away when Stiles saw what was in his chair. He mouthed a quick thanks and flashed a smile at her before pulling out his notebook. Erica let out a breath, she managed to return the hoodie without making a big deal out of it and Jackson didn't even get a chance to make a comment.

*Lunch*

Lydia led the way to the cafeteria, briskly talking about how she'd need to go out on a shopping trip soon to keep on top of the latest fashions, since spring was coming up before long and wouldn't Allison like to join her? She barely managed to stammer out a sure before they were picking out their lunches from the line and paying for it. People just moved out of Lydia's way apparently, Allison wasn't used to getting through a lunch line so quickly; as it was, she kept to herself at her last school. It wasn't much of a challenge, even at a private school in L.A. there were so many students that no one really cared about popular or not. It was amazing how different this high school was from her last one, it was a lot like her first high school actually. Hopefully she'd be staying her long enough to actually make friends though, get to know everyone underneath all the superficial bullshit. Last time the kids refused to acknowledge her and completely iced her out and she had no idea why so- this time had to go better. It was just a surprise that Lydia had warmed up to her so fast. She was pulled out of her thoughts when Lydia excitedly tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh, by the way, I can't believe I've forgotten to mention it to you, tomorrow we're having a get together at my house. It's been in the works for about a week now so all the usual people know about it. Think you can come?"

*Stilinski table*

Isaac groaned as soon as he heard Lydia mention her latest party… all the kids made a big deal about it and you were expected to go if you wanted to be anybody cool. Of course he was invited since he was first string but, neither of his brothers were welcome there and all the other players made sure to remind him. What made it worse was Stiles always begged him to sneak him into a party; Scott didn't care too much but Stiles wanted to be close to Lydia.

"What's with the groan?" Scott asked.

Isaac pointed with his chin, "A Lydia Martin party tomorrow, so word's going to be spreading about it. Well, word already kinda has but now the new girl is invited so that's bound to get people talking."

"Allison is invited? Dude, we've got to go!" Scott called out excitedly (and rather loudly).

"Dude, you know the rules."

Stiles sighed heavily, "If only we were cool enough."

*Lydia's table*

"I'm not sure if I can… Saturday nights are family nights and my parents don't like me to miss those. Plus I'm still trying to get moved in," Allison said, repeating the lie she'd told Jackson.

Lydia frowned, "That's no fun. It's your first weekend in town, surely your parents will let you skip one family night!"

"Eh, my dad is pretty uptight about them…"

"Well, the lacrosse players are invited, and any of their girlfriends. I only allow a 'plus one' so that way it never gets too out of hand. So if you change your mind, or manage to get out of family night, I'll text you my address."

Allison turned around to look at the lacrosse players spanning the surrounding tables, "Wait, that's still a lot of people."

Caitlin laughed, "By the lacrosse players, she only means first string. Second and third are losers so they don't count. Obviously."

"But, isn't Isaac first string, I thought…" Allison trailed off. She didn't want to say out loud that Isaac was considered a loser.

"Well, he is first string, so technically yea, he is invited but, like Lydia said the party is 'plus one' only. He has two brothers, and all three of them are close so he'd never be able to choose which one got the honor of being his invite. And of course he'd never come by himself either because he's got loser running in his veins," Ashley told her.

Lydia gave her a disapproving look, "Ashley, not so loud! And really Isaac isn't that bad, so what if he spends time with his brothers? It's not his fault they suck at the sport, he's just being nice to them."

Allison looked over her shoulder and accidently made eye contact with said brother; she could tell by the look on his face that he'd heard every word and Allison felt her heart sink. He probably thought she was as heartless as the rest of them.

*Stilinski table*

Isaac tensed up as he heard the girls dismissing him and his brothers, that was the true reason he never went to the parties. They weren't his friends, they were shallow and fake and he wanted nothing to do with them! Not because he couldn't pick a favorite brother, which he really couldn't do anyways, but if he really wanted to go to a Lydia Martin party, he'd just bring both of them. Already they were trying to brainwash the new girl into thinking only certain people were important and that told him everything he needed to know about their character. Hopefully Allison wouldn't be as shallow or simple minded, Scott would just be broken-hearted.

Stiles clapped Isaac on his shoulder and interrupted his train of thought, "Dude, as much as I worship Lydia, I'm not stupid enough to think that we'd be accepted at the party. Even if we were first string, everyone there would find a reason to exclude us so we're better off not going. Just once though, I'd like to see inside her house."

"If you know she's a shallow wannabe, why do you like her so much?" Isaac whined.

"Dude, she is not a wannabe! She is brilliant and beautiful, she just also happens to like appearances and fashion. There is nothing wrong with that… other than, I clearly don't fit into her ideal. But if I can just beef up and get better at lacrosse, then she'll spare me a glance."

Isaac tuned him out and went to talk to Scott but apparently his younger brother was too busy planning a way to ask Allison out on a date. He was surrounded by idiots in love! Isaac shook his head and ate his lunch, he'd leave his brothers to their hopeless pining.

*Fourth Period English 3*

Lydia strolled into class and took her seat, organizing her notes in front of her, ready to start on the new book. Beside her Ran was doodling and looking a bit bored, it took Lydia by surprise.

"Ran, you okay?" she asked quietly.

I don't like this story the older girl wrote on her paper.

"You've read it before?"

Ran nodded, writing down some more. It's a good story just… it's sad.

Lydia frowned, she had no idea what "Speak" was about but, Miss McCurdy promised that it would be very thought provoking and that hopefully everyone in her class was mature enough to handle it. Lydia actually had high hopes for it since she also told the class that anyone who reacted inappropriately to the story could sit in Study Hall for the remainder periods it took to finish. And now Ran was warning her that the story was sad, it made her mind race with all the possibilities. She looked at her neighbor again, making a sudden decision- they'd been rivals (at least in Lydia's mind) all year and the older girl really kept her on her toes. Maybe it was time to get to know her a little better.

"Hey Ran, I'm having a party tomorrow, would you like to come?"

She raised an eyebrow, scribbling something down on her paper. You really want me to go to one of your parties? It's not like I'm popular

Lydia scoffed, "I can invite whoever I want, it's my party. You're one of the only other students in class that takes every lesson seriously and you challenge me to do better. Same in our Trig class, we do all the work in there too. Now, I won't readily admit any of that outside of class but, I like you. So I want to get to know you better, I mean, you're one of the few people that know how hard I try in school. Just, don't tell anyone."

I won't Ran wrote, holding back a smile. She never really spoke so there was no way she could break that promise, but she knew that Lydia felt better seeing her write it down.

"So, why don't you let me get to know you, come to the party? All the cool kids will be there, there will be lots of drinks to choose from," Lydia admitted with a wink.

Ran bit her lip, Lydia's friends weren't her friends, although she did know a few of the older lacrosse players that were in her year. But the Sophomore's parties were pretty legendary, especially since none of them ever got broken up by the police. Parties with people she didn't know, it took a lot out of her, especially if it was loud and boisterous. But the redhead was looking at her expectantly, she wasn't used to being turned down, and well, her parents would be happy to have her get out of the house. So she nodded to Lydia, a small smile on her lips.

"Great! Here's my address, did you need a ride?" Lydia asked, handing over a scrap of paper.

No, I'm sure Mom will let me use her car she wrote down. If not, she had her bike she could ride.

"Let me know if that changes, I can pick you up, my number is on there too. Party starts at 8."

Lydia turned back to her notes with a smile on her face, no one ever turned down an invite to her parties- surely Ran would have fun. She seemed like a bit of an introvert but that didn't mean she didn't know how to let loose every once and awhile. Plus her house was big enough so if Ran wanted to sit in a quieter corner and just observe, she'd have that option. But Lydia would not be known as a bad party host and made a mental note to keep an eye on her new guest and make sure she was doing okay.

*After School*

Allison followed Scott and Stiles out front, keeping a few people between her and them; she was hoping to talk to Isaac about what he'd heard at lunch. It was only a few moments before he appeared next to them, all three boys heading to the locker room. Now or never, she'd just have to call out to him.

"Excuse me, Isaac?"

The three of them turned around, a bright smile coming to Scott's face when he saw her.

"Yea?"

"Um, I was hoping to talk to you real quick," Allison trailed off, hoping the other two boys would get the hint.

Thankfully Stiles knew when to make himself scarce, tugging on Scott's shirt to drag him to the locker room. Scott put up some resistance, Allison was here without Lydia, this was his chance to ask her out.

"Not sure if you heard her Scott but she wanted to talk to Isaac," Stiles whispered, shoving his brother through the door to the locker room.

Isaac raised a brow, "What's up?"

"I just, I wanted you to know that I think it's absolute crap that Lydia's friends hate on your brothers so much," Allison said all in a rush. "I get that you're maybe a better player than them, which is why you're first string, but that doesn't mean your brothers are losers. I could tell by the look on your face that you had heard what was said…"

"Yea, it is crap, which exactly why I don't go to the parties. I mean, they aren't wrong- I'd never favor one brother over the other but if I really wanted to go, there is nothing stopping me."

Allison nodded, "I just… I wanted to let you know that, well, I don't think that way. Scott is super nice, I have both of them in two of my classes. Stiles does mess around a bit but, that doesn't mean he deserves to be called a loser either." She shrugged, at a loss for what else to say. "I don't know, I just wanted you to know I'm not… I'm capable of making my own decisions. I know what it's like to be considered an outsider for no good reason, so I guess… I mean, we can be friends if you want."

She started to walk away, feeling like a bit of an idiot when Isaac stopped her, "That's good to know, I'm glad you aren't superficial like the other girls. And almost all the first string guys too, they are just as bad." Isaac smiled wistfully, "Do bad you have that family thing."

"How did you? Wow you have really good hearing… But um…" Allison looked around before saying anything else. "That was a lie. I don't have family nights. Even if I did, my mom would shove me out the door if she heard I was invited to a party already. I just… Jackson was sending me these weird vibes and I didn't want to be in a room full of all those jocks and their bitchy girlfriends. Lydia's cool when it's just her but…"

"Well, we could ruin their night, if you change your mind and decide to go," Isaac whispered conspiratorially.

"Really?"

"Well, you got invited, and I'm first string so I'm invited. And we both get a plus one, and I have two brothers," Isaac hinted. "If you wanted to bring one of them, I can invite the other and Lydia can't get mad since we didn't break her party rule. If you want to of course, I mean if there isn't someone else you want to invite."

Allison gave him a big smile, "That's a brilliant idea! Do you think Stiles would be upset if I, um asked Scott?"

He politely ignored the slight blush that cropped up on her cheeks, "Naw, Stiles won't mind- he's got a major crush on Lydia so this way he'll be able to claim that he's fully able to mingle. Not that Lydia will give him the time of day but he's pretty adamant. Want me to tell Scott you're looking for him or did you want to wait until after practice?"

"No, I won't be staying the whole time, so before is better. Thanks! I can't wait to see how everyone reacts to them being there."

Isaac grinned, he completely agreed. He thanked her for agreeing to the plan then went into the locker room to find Scott and change.

"Dude, Scott, you dressed yet?" Isaac called out.

"Yea why?"

Isaac put his hand over Scott's mouth and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Allison wants to talk to you outside, before you go on the field. This is your chance to ask her out on a date."

Scott let out an excited whoop, thankfully muffled by his brother's hand- he didn't want the whole locker room to figure out why he was so excited. He tore out of the locker room, barely remembering to grab his crosse in his haste.

"Dude, what was that about?" Stiles asked, slamming his locker closed.

"Well, can you keep a secret?"

Stiles gave him a disappointed look, "Is that a serious question?"

Isaac laughed, "No, I know you can. Better question: can you promise not to yell in excitement and alert the whole team to my plan?"

Stiles perked up, this was new; Isaac wasn't usually the one coming up with devious plans. He nodded and clamped both hands over his mouth, if Isaac's plan was even half as good as he thought, he was sure to lose it.

"Okay so, here's the plan," Isaac explained, stepping in close to his brother as he changed. "I talked with Allison and she thinks that you and Scott really aren't that bad and thinks that it's stupid how the first string treats you. So she agreed to take Scott as her plus one, so I can take you as my plus one and we all get in to Lydia's party tomorrow."

Isaac laughed as he watched his brother's eyes get huge, a quiet squeak coming from between his fingers. Slowly he sank down onto the bench, in complete disbelief; it was a moment before he shot up and threw his fists into the air, silently celebrating.

"Dude how?" Stiles whispered once he stopped flailing.

"She wanted to get back at them for being jerks, and she seems to like Scott so she agreed to take him as her plus one. Let's head out before we get into more trouble with Coach."

*Outside*

"Hey, Allison, Isaac said you were waiting for me?"

She smiled at him and shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Yea um, well I was wondering if you had heard about Lydia's party tomorrow?"

"Yea, everyone's been talking about it but…" Scott paused. He wasn't invited to the party, so how could he ask Allison out- she was obviously hinting that she'd like to go with him.

"Well, Lydia invited me and she did say that I could bring a date?"

Scott smiled, it was a bit backwards with him being the invitee but there was nothing wrong with getting asked out by a girl. "Would you grant me the honor of being your plus one?"

"Yea, I'd like that," Allison couldn't help but beam at him. It wasn't how a date was usually set up but Scott didn't seem to care and she liked him even more for that. "Isaac is going um, did you want to come pick me up? Or I can meet you there if you want?"

"We can totally pick you up, Stiles has the Jeep and we'll all fit in it," he promised.

"The party starts at 8 and I don't think this is the type of party where people show up fashionably late to. You might want to stop by my place early, um my parents will probably want to meet you and everything." Allison couldn't help but turn a little pink. Hopefully her parents wouldn't go overboard; maybe it wouldn't be too bad since Isaac and Stiles would be there as well.

Scott pulled out his phone, "Can you send me your number, that way I can text you when we're leaving the house."

As they finished giving each other their numbers, the other boys came out of the locker room; Allison waved quickly and headed over to the stands.

"Dude, totally got a date with Allison," Scott whispered, still in total awe.

"Look out Stiles, baby brother has more skills than you," Danny laughed, clapping the oldest brother on his shoulder.

"Danny, you wound me! I'm just… building up the suspense. I've got a lot of game!"

Isaac rolled his eyes and walked towards the field, Danny on his left.

"So, I overheard the conversation in the locker room," the goalie started. Isaac paused, was he going to tell Jackson, or warn him to call it off? But Danny quickly eased his mind, "I think it will be great to finally have the three of you there; Stiles is… a bit out of place but I think he has his role as the team jokester. Maybe if all three of you are there, the guys will open up a bit. You guys really aren't that bad- just don't tell Stiles I said that… he already asks me too many personal questions in Chemistry."

"Thanks, glad to know at least one other person there won't hate our presence," Isaac said. He should have known, Danny was a great guy. Sure he had a semi-short fuse with Stiles but, well, that was more than most people had.

*After Practice*

"Okay Stiles, you have to get some febreeze going when we get home, I will not let you pick up Allison in the Jeep when it smells worse than the locker room!" Scott warned as they drove home.

"It's not her fault that you guys leave your sweaty gear all over the seats! But yea, maybe she does need some freshening up," he admitted, rubbing a hand across the dashboard.

"Also she said to get there early so we could meet her parents… I'm not sure if she's going to tell them it's a date or not… so don't be weird and just go with the flow. And since we're her ride, if she wants to go home, Stiles, you take her home!"

"But what if-"

Scott shook his head, "No, no what-ifs. The only what-if I'd accept is if you were having sex with Lydia, and even then I'd ask for the keys!"

Isaac snorted, "That's totally not going to happen."

Stiles smacked his brother's arm, "It won't happen because I'm totally not going to hook up with the party host during a party. Lydia deserves to be wooed, not fondled by an inexperienced…." He stopped talking, face turning red.

"Dude, maybe she'll talk to you, but still, if Allison needs to get home at a certain time, please don't get her in trouble!" Scott pleaded.

"Okay, okay, you've made your point. When Allison is ready to head home, come find me and we'll take her home. I promise."

"Now we just have to talk Mom and Dad into letting us go," Isaac said.

"Oh please, the three of us getting into a lacrosse party, and Scottie with a date, they'll let us go," Stiles laughed.


	8. Full Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go to the party and then Isaac sees the Alpha... The Hales step in and try to explain things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really long chapter, I started playing with the Hale and Argent history as well as some of the Pack dynamic stuff and got carried away. I didn't want to split any of it up so here it all is! Hope you enjoy it! =D

*Saturday*

Scott stretched in his bed, glad that he didn't have to set an alarm today; they'd only had two days of school but it had taken its toll. He was thankful that the school system always seemed to put the start of the semester midweek instead of on Monday; even they had hearts… or maybe at least they had kids. As he climbed out of his bed, Scott suddenly remembered that he had a date with Allison tonight! It was already 11, and he was hoping to get to her house around 7 so he better start figuring out what he was going to wear.

"Well, I guess I should just wash first, then pick out clothes," Scott mumbled to himself. Best way to start off the day was to get clean, it helped him to wake up and if he was awake, he'd make better choices about his clothes. When he walked into the bathroom, he heard whimpering coming from just down the hall- he walked up to Isaac's door and pressed his ear to it. Once he was certain that it was indeed Isaac making those noises, he opened the door, a gasp coming from his throat. Inside the room there was mud all over the floor as well as some bits of leaves, trail leading directly to Isaac's bed.

"Scott, why are you just standing at Isaac's door, you look like a creeper," Stiles called out as he entered the hall. He was hoping to get to the bathroom before his brothers but it looked like Scotty beat him.

Scott just waved for Stiles to come see for himself, not really having the words to describe the strange mess. He made room in the doorway for his brother, biting his lip when he heard Isaac whimpering again.

"Dude, what do you think happened?" Scott asked.

"Let's go wake him up and see," was all Stiles said, stepping into the room. Carefully he sat on the edge of the bed and touched Isaac's shoulder.

Immediately Isaac sat up and gripped the wrist holding him, a pained yelp startling him to full wakefulness. He registered that there were two people in his room and he jumped out of bed and slid across the floor, pressing himself into the corner out of fear. It took him a moment to realize that he was looking at his brothers and they were both staring at him in shook.

Stiles cried out in pain when Isaac's hand shot out from the covers and grabbed his wrist, his nails digging into the soft flesh. The cry must have surprised him though because just like that he was out of the bed and across the room. The real surprise was that Isaac's eyes were glowing, a golden amber color- that wasn't normal.

"Isaac? Is… is that you?" Scott asked, suddenly afraid some sort of alien had taken over his body.

"Yea… it's me, why wouldn't it be me?" he asked in return, hands flying to his face to see if he'd been horribly disfigured or something. As he brought his hands up, the smell of blood entered his nostrils and he looked around. "Stiles, you're bleeding!"

The three boys looked down at Stiles's wrist to see three jagged lines heading down his arm, about 2 inches long.

"Oh crap, what the hell!" Stiles leapt up from the bed and raced to the bathroom. Scott was right on his heels. Isaac started to follow but realized that the smell of blood was still far too sharp. He looked down and saw the blood on his fingertips, a whimper escaping his throat when he became aware of whose it was. He rushed to the bathroom to wash off his hands but collided with Scott.

"It's not too bad, like not that deep but I'll need some bandages, how are we going to explain that to Mom though?" Stiles asked, arm in the sink.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Isaac whimpered.

Stiles looked at him, "Dude what happened? You freaked out when I touched you?" Typical of him to not be worried about the blood spilling from his wrist; Isaac just looked at his bloody fingers again, not understanding how his nails had done that much damage.

"Another nightmare, this time I was hunting with it, like a deer or something… I don't remember much now but, it seemed so real. Just the thought of being near that thing, scares me… so when you touched me, I guess I thought it was the creature? Sorry…"

"Eh, I'll be fine… just have to come up with something to tell Mom… Scott go get the ACE bandage, I'll wrap it up with that and say I sprained it or something."

Scott nodded and walked to the hall closet with all their medical equipment, biting his lip as he recalled all the mud in Isaac's room. Had it really just been a dream? He didn't have time to think about it though, so he grabbed a handful of gauze and bandages, then the ACE wrap and headed back to the bathroom. Isaac had cautiously pushed further into the bathroom to wash the blood off of his hands as well as get a closer look at Stiles's wounds. The eldest had been right, it wasn't a horrible wound- not terribly deep but it was bleeding plenty.

"I already got the Neosporin Scott, here," Stiles said, holding up the small tube. He hissed a bit as Scott applied a liberal amount over the scratches before packing the gauze on top of it. Then the white bandages to hold them in place before the ACE wrap was rolled around his narrow wrist. "Okay, good as new. Remind me to check it in a few hours to make sure I'm not seeping through the gauze. Come on, let's get out of here so Scott can finally shower."

He offered a small smile to Isaac in the hopes of getting some color back on his pale cheeks but Isaac just backed out of the bathroom. Stiles cleared his throat, "Want some help cleaning up? You know Mom is going to freak out-"

"Clean what?" Isaac asked, face twisted in confusion.

Scott piped up, peeking out from the edge of the bathroom door, "Dude, there is mud all over in your room…"

"What?" Isaac spun and looked around at the mess. What the hell? He saw that the mud tracked to his bed; in a daze he checked the bottoms of his feet and saw the caked on dirt. "Stiles… am I going crazy?"

Stiles felt his heart crack at the worry in Isaac's voice, "Naw Bro, you aren't going crazy. We'll figure this out okay."

Isaac whimpered and gently pushed Stiles further into the hall, "I already hurt you, just… I'll clean up by myself." Without waiting for a response, he closed the door behind him, startling the two boys when they heard the lock click.

"We're… we are going to figure out what's happening right?" Scott whispered.

"Of course, go ahead and shower, I'll get on the laptop."

Isaac whimpered to himself as he heard his brothers whispering in the hall. Stiles said that he wasn't going crazy but… the mess in his room seemed like evidence otherwise. Last night he had a dream he was hunting with that… thing. He had no mind of his own, just the instinct to hunt and rip into the animal they were chasing. Parts of the dream came back to Isaac and he ran to the small trash can by his desk; in his dream they had caught the deer. He dry-heaved loudly and cursed, there was no way that Stiles hadn't heard, he'd never got over his loud heaving from when he was a kid. Luckily nothing came up, Isaac really wasn't too enthusiastic on seeing any deer come up (the dream was too real to be anything but an actual memory), he shuddered away from the thought that he had partook of the poor creature. Moments passed and the waves of nausea left him, thankfully Stiles hadn't tried to bust his way in here to check on him. He wanted to be alone right now, sort through everything going on in his head… Might as well start cleaning while he thought, he grabbed a spare rag and started in on the floor.

Stiles cringed in his room when he heard Isaac through the walls (there was even Scott's empty room between them) but stayed at his desk. Clearly Isaac wanted to be alone, if that changed, he'd come into Stiles's room and start talking. It was just a bit shocking to see Isaac take the quiet route, that was usually reserved by him. He heaved a sigh and pulled up his browser, once again typing in Isaac's symptoms and hoping he'd find something applicable.

Sometime later, after Scott had finished showering and was working on getting dressed, Stiles burst into his room, "We need to talk to Isaac, do you think he's ready to listen?"

In response, they heard Isaac's door unlock and swing open, "Yea, I think so."

Both boys entered the now clean room, sheets pulled off the bed and in a pile to be washed. They couldn't even tell that there had been a mess in here not long before, Isaac must have felt really determined.

Stiles started, "Okay so I think I found something, like 100% serious right now but first… Scott, you saw the same thing I did right?" He gave his brother a significant look. The information he had found was startling to say the least but he wanted to make sure he hadn't been hallucinating this morning.

Scott nodded, "You mean his eyes right? I was willing to forget about that, chalk it up to a trick of the light but, if you saw it too…"

"Wait, what did my eyes do?" Isaac whispered, remembering the glowing red eyes that haunted his dreams.

"They were glowing this morning, a bright gold color," Stiles told him. "Totally not a shade remotely close to your usual blue. Normally, I'd be with Scott, willing to think it was a trick of the light, but… I found something online."

Isaac and Scott both sighed in relief, if he had found something online, then whatever he was going through had a name. They'd find an answer and a cure and get him back to normal!

"Don't look so happy just yet… You aren't going to like the answer at all." Stiles frowned, he was absolutely positive that neither of them were going to believe the news- the only reason he did was because he liked to believe he was very open-minded. "Hear me out okay, you promise?"

Scott agreed readily where Isaac hesitated but in the end, he nodded his head as well. Stiles went through all the trouble of looking it up so might as well listen.

"First point: enhanced senses, you've admitted to having them, at least sound and smell, plus your reflexes are even more amazing than usual. Second: Those nightmares you've been having, that's a part of this too. Third: your nails –holds up his wrist- you keep your nails shorter than I do, and I bite mine all the time. There is no way you could have scratched me this bad under normal circumstances. Fourth: Your eyes, that both Scott and I witnessed, a glowing gold color. Fifth: the creature you saw, had glowing red eyes right?"

"Yea, very vibrant red. Why does that matter?" Isaac asked.

"All of it ties together to this blog I found. Like I said, you're not going to like the answer but, all the signs match. This kid I found… he lists all those things as well." Stiles pulled out his phone then, this was what would be the true test for him, what would make him a true believer. "Isaac look at me real quick." He quickly snapped a picture of his brother, covering his mouth with his free hand so hide his gasp. "Dude, we have to cancel going to the party tonight, Isaac… you need to stay inside."

"What? Why? You haven't explained anything! Is he contagious or something? I mean if so, most of the kids in his classes are probably already screwed. Allison is expecting us, I am not cancelling on her!" Scott whined loudly.

"Yea, and if I do have some terrible illness, maybe we should give it to all those stuck-up jocks at the party," Isaac added on.

Stiles stepped further into the room and shut the door, whispering as loud as he dared, "No Isaac, you don't understand. You're a Werewolf!"

Scott groaned immediately, "I thought you were taking this seriously Stiles! You already tried that joke remember."

"I'm not kidding this time, I swear! The blog I found, this kid was posting his experiences and they match Isaac's story! Red eyes, a bite, crazy senses, he got gold eyes too! It's all there Scott! Even this," he held up his phone so the other two could see. It was the picture he'd just snapped of Isaac, only there was a brilliant lens flare around Isaac's eyes, whiting out most of the picture. "The kid was going to post a picture of his gold eyes as proof to his online friends but found out all of his pictures came out looking exactly like this! It's all still up on my laptop. I know it sounds ridiculous but, I mean their stories match!"

"Stiles, I can't believe you got pulled in by some kid's bullshit story, you're supposed to be smart," Isaac whispered. He could tell that this time Stiles was being completely serious, unlike the other day, but still to even think Werewolves were a thing? This isn't what he needed right now.

"Just go look at it, I swear it's too weird to not be true, I mean, what about this!" Stiles cried out, pointing to his phone.

"Your camera is busted or something, easy explanation. I'm going to go for a walk okay? Just… keep looking for answers, ones on medical sites this time please?" Isaac asked. Stiles started to argue but he just held up his hand and walked out of the room, leaving him sputtering in confusion.

"Really Stiles, Werewolf?"

"Scott, come look! And I'll show you," Stiles quickly snapped a photo of Scott, and then one of himself. "See, both are completely normal, nothing wrong with my camera. It's Isaac's eyes… something is going on with them." Stiles grabbed Scott and pulled him to his room, pointing to the computer. "Just read it and tell me you don't think it's a very real possibility."

Scott rolled his eyes but started skimming through the kid's blog posts, eyes slowly getting wider as he got further along. At one point he snatched the phone out of Stiles's hand and compared it to the one on the screen. After a few minutes, Scott turned and looked at Stiles, "Werewolf? This can't be real. It's so stupid… If Werewolves were a real thing, we'd totally know about it!"

"Not necessarily. I mean, there are examples of supernatural creatures in every civilization right? And we even know about the legends of Werewolves and Vampires and stuff, so who's to say all the old accounts aren't real. Then generations later the supernatural kinda thinned out or went into hiding and we forgot about it except in stories. Then the stories just became horror commodities. We honestly have no way to disprove the old stories just because we think it's absurd, we weren't there to see if Lycaon was really turned into a wolf by Zeus or not."

"Wait, is that where Lycanthropy came from, like the name?" Scott asked, easily picking up on the similarities.

Stiles shook his head, "No, I don't think so, I just think the names are similar, it's more like his name was wolf based, like the term Lycanthropy, and that's why they are close. Not the point though, I mean, the dots connect right?"

"Okay, yea, the dots connect. But why does that mean we can't go to the party tonight?" Scott asked. "So Isaac might be some supernatural creature, we aren't going to hold that against him right? He's still our brother."

"I know! I'm not… my point was that tonight is the full moon Scott. If any part of the legends are true… Isaac is going to be, well a handful to say the least. We can't risk him being around other people, it won't be safe until we understand what exactly can happen to him."

"Isaac won't hurt anyone, it's Isaac!" Scott argued.

Stiles raised a brow and crossed his arms, "He sent Andrew to the hospital and now the kid has to sit out half the season while he heals. Remember how Isaac said he had that rage coursing through him? I think it has to do with his condition. What if someone at the party says or does something to make him mad again? What if he just flips out, just because he can't help it?"

"We'll keep an eye on him then, it will be fine. Please Stiles, I have a date with my dream girl, and you get to see inside Lydia Martin's house! How can you even think about cancelling?" Scott complained.

"Because I don't want anyone to get hurt! We have no idea what's going to happen!" Stiles shot back. Please, he liked Lydia a lot, but if there was even a remote chance that Isaac might lose himself tonight, he wasn't going to let that happen in a strange house- Lydia or no Lydia. Before either brother could say anything else, Isaac stepped into the room.

"Scott is right, we have no idea if I'll flip out at all, and Dad looked so happy that we were going to a lacrosse party. I still think the Werewolf thing is stupid but I can't deny that something is going on with me. So, if I start to feel funny at all I'll tell you and we can leave, okay?"

Scott immediately did a victory dance around the room, leaving Stiles no room to disagree. He had to admit, it was a lot better than he was hoping to get so Stiles nodded his head. This party wasn't going to be much fun for him, not if he was going to be keeping a close eye on his brother, but maybe Scott would enjoy himself. Still though, it would just be so much better if they stayed home, maybe found a way to keep Isaac locked in a secure room. If even a fraction of the lore he found was true, Isaac wasn't going to be in control.

"I've got to start putting together an outfit, I want to look good but not like… too fancy or anything. Gotta find the perfect thing," Scott suddenly remembered, shooting out of the room.

"Be honest Isaac, is Scott's date the reason you don't want to cancel?" Stiles asked.

Isaac nodded, "He's so happy, Allison is like Lydia to him. Only he got a date, I don't want to be the reason he misses out on his chance. And really this can be your chance with Lydia too."

"Please, she's stuck on Jackson. I mean I think he's a total ass but, they are dating and I doubt that in one night, she'll acknowledge my existence and realize that her boyfriend is a tool. That's too much to hope for all in one day. I'll be happy enough if she says hi and doesn't kick me out, that will make my night."

Isaac smirked, "Guess we'll see what happens then. I'm going to take a shower." As he walked into the hallway, he saw that their mom was up and said good morning to her.

"You boys looking forward to the party?" she asked, poking her head into Stiles's room.

"Yea, Scott is in his room right now agonizing over his wardrobe choices. Could I beg for you to make us breakfast Mom? Or um, I guess brunch since it's in the afternoon," Stiles asked, batting his eyelashes at her.

"Yea, I can make you something, stop doing that, you look ridiculous," Melissa laughed. "Omelets good?" Both boys agreed as she walked downstairs and into the kitchen.

Isaac disappeared to take his shower and Stiles continued to hunch over the computer, looking for ways to keep Isaac safe tonight. Later when Melissa called them down for food, Stiles rubbed his eyes and groaned; it was hard to figure out what might be true and what was just garbage. As the boys all gathered at the table, Melissa fixed them with a stare.

"I know we talked about this last night but I'm going to say it again. Your father and I don't want you to get drunk tonight, but we understand that alcohol is almost always present at parties like this so just be safe. Boys if all of you have something to drink, call us, please. We won't be mad, we'd rather that you got home safely than drove home drunk or buzzed. Dad even promised that he wouldn't show up in his uniform or the cruiser."

"I promise Mom, I'll be sober. I don't want to completely embarrass myself at my first party by not knowing how to handle my alcohol so I'll be good to drive. But, since I know it will make you feel better, if I drink anything, and so have these two, we'll call and ask for a pick up," Stiles told her before digging into his food. He was not going to tell her the real reason he was staying sober tonight, he'd get sent to a therapist for sure and get called crazy. Then of course it would be too late because Isaac would have gone crazy at the party and hurt someone.

Melissa smiled and ran her hand through Scott's hair, "Thank you, I can't wait to hear how it goes, tomorrow morning of course! I doubt I'll be awake when you boys get home." She walked away to start some laundry, leaving the boys to their brunch; John had had a pretty strict talk with them the night before so she was sure the three of them would be okay.

*Argent Home*

"Okay now seriously, I have no idea how her parents are going to react to the date, since my two brothers are my ride to the party, so just play it cool," Scott told them. He had squealed happily when Allison told him that her parents knew it was a date, but he didn't know if they also knew Stiles and Isaac were going to be at the door.

"We know," Isaac groaned, only slightly annoyed. He and Stiles stood further back, just so when someone answered the door, they'd know which one was Scott.

"Hi Scott!" Allison chirped as she opened the door, smiling brightly. "Stiles, Isaac, come on in and meet the parents. Please don't be intimidated," she added on in a quiet whisper.

Stiles tried not to roll his eyes, Allison was an only child, he could already tell, if she was warning them about the interrogation they were about to go through. But they had the Sheriff for a dad, how bad could Mr. Argent be? (As it turns out, it was probably Mrs. Argent he should have prepared for).

"Mom, Dad, this is Scott from school, my date, and these are his two brothers Stiles and Isaac," she introduced easily.

"Nice to meet you boys, I'm Chris and this is my wife Victoria," he answered, offering his hand to Scott first.

Stiles kept his smirk off his face, was he really expecting them to fail the name test? Please, like they were idiots; they knew that no matter how the adults introduced themselves you always addressed them formally. It was only if they insisted afterwards that you could be more informal.

"Thank you for inviting us into your home Mr. and Mrs. Argent," Scott smiled, shaking the man's hand.

"Don't you think it's rather strange that you invited your brothers to your date?" Mrs. Argent said, not easing up on the boys at all.

"Mooooooom, but I told you-" Allison started but Scott smiled at her.

"I know it is rather unusual but I don't have my own vehicle yet and since it is a date, I didn't want to show up to the party at separate times and then she ends up waiting for me all alone. My brothers are both going to the party and Stiles is the one with the Jeep since he's the oldest so we figured it made the most sense to carpool. I of course made sure Allison was okay with that first."

Stiles wanted to add on that they weren't some weird family, that if the first date was like a movie and dinner kind of thing, they obviously wouldn't be there. But then again he reminded himself that they did all sleep curled up on the floor together- not that they were going to find out about that! But he knew if he opened his mouth, it would just make things awkward and he would word it the worst way possible.

Victoria looked Scott over, not finding any fault in his explanation so she turned her attention to the other two boys. "Are you always so quiet?"

"Oh no Mrs. Argent, I'm actually quite the smart ass, I just don't want you to judge Scott based on my attributes, so I figure if I stay quiet, his chances are better," Stiles laughed.

"And it might have worked if you hadn't just blurted that out," Isaac stated, trying to hold back a smile as he raised his brow. He turned to Allison's parents, "You'll have to excuse Stiles, he has ADHD so even when he tries really hard to rein himself in, he's not perfect. Although I also feel like if we were to completely hide ourselves you would trust us even less during this first meeting. To answer your question, I'm usually the quietest out of all three of us, choosing to not converse unless I have something to contribute to the conversation."

Allison couldn't hold in her giggle at their antics, this was exactly how she'd explained the boys to her parents, so it was nice to see they were living up to their reputation already. That was sure to put her parents more at ease, not that they would stop her from going to the party. She relaxed a bit when she saw her mom smile at Isaac, well it was a small upturn of her mouth but it totally counted.

"Well I can appreciate your honesty Isaac," was all she said.

Chris cleared his throat, "Normally I'd tell you to bring Allison back home by midnight but, we decided to let Allison stay the night at Lydia's. That being said, you will not be staying with her."

All three boys flushed at the implication, Scott quickly spoke up, "Oh no, of course not Mr. Argent. I mean our parents expect us home and well, Lydia wouldn't let me sleep at her house anyways and-"

Stiles clapped him on the shoulder to make sure he didn't end up putting his foot in his mouth. "Like Scott said, our parents expect all three of us home tonight and we were all raised properly. Our parents would be mortified if they heard Scott tried anything like that. Scott is a gentleman, I promise."

"Okay, well if that's all, we'll be on our way now!" Allison declared rather pointedly, giving both of her parents a look.

"Have fun tonight Sweetie, call us if you decide to come home," Victoria said, hugging her daughter.

"See you tomorrow Ally," Chris added on, kissing her on the forehead in lieu of saying goodnight.

The four of them left the house, Scott breathing a sigh of relief when the door closed behind them. "That wasn't so bad right? I mean, it could have gone worse."

"Wow, I'm really glad we don't have a sister right now… just think of what she'd have to go through at our house? It's bad enough when Dad interrogates us about our friends," Stiles admitted.

"Your dad is strict too?" Allison asked as she climbed into the back of the Jeep.

"Our dad is the Sheriff, he has to be strict," Isaac laughed.

Scott smiled, "And our mom is a nurse at the hospital, we get all kinds of safety talks periodically."

Allison shook her head, "Wow… at least your parents have a reason… I mean if my dad was the Sheriff, I'd understand. But no, Dad is just… a dad, not that I hate him for that or anything."

*Lydia's House*

"Wow, she's got a really nice house," Allison murmured.

"Have you seen the house you live in?" Stiles sputtered, she totally lived on the rich side of town. Lydia's house was still rather nice, but that was because her mom was a real estate agent and got dibs on this house when it was being built.

Allison ducked her head, "Well, Mom loves having a nice house, so she tends to go big. But this, this is nice without being over the top you know?"

"Well let's see what it looks like from the inside shall we?" Scott asked, big smile on his face. The group of them walked up to the front door and Isaac swung it open, flinching at the loud music that was blaring.

"Certainly is loud in here, let's find the host," he said. He was rather looking forward to seeing her face when she realized what they had done. He and Allison shared a gleeful smile as they entered the spacious house.

They walked into what was probably the living room, a large table of nonalcoholic drinks along the wall; Stiles hurried over and grabbed a can of Pepsi, cracking it open and taking a large swig. Immediately he started drumming out a beat on the can with his long fingers, needing something to do to take the edge off his nervousness. Isaac clapped him on the back and pushed him further into the house, someone had pointed Allison in the right direction. The boys all followed her into the kitchen, Danny spying them quickly enough and walked over.

"Hey, nice of you to make it, things just got good! Brad and Kevin just brought out the hard stuff," the goalie told them. He raised his eyebrow when Stiles sighed sadly.

"DD tonight, no drinking for me," Stiles explained, taking another sip of his soda.

"Who's your plus one Danny?" Allison asked, doing her best to make small talk until Lydia finally saw them and came to say hi.

"He flaked on me! It was this guy I met, at um, the club. Goes to Ridgedale, called me up like 30 minutes before it's time to go and says he can't make it."

Allison frowned, "What an ass! I thought everyone knew about Lydia's parties!"

"I think that was the problem. I'm out and everyone on the team accepts me but I don't think he is. He seemed nervous when I invited him and he barely agreed to come, I think he talked himself out of coming because he was afraid word would get out."

Isaac sighed in sympathy, "Can't be easy… I mean at the club is one thing, easy to brush off and say you were there for fun. Showing up at a party for a rival school, with a boy, that's a bit different."

Danny shrugged, "I don't hold it against him. I mean, I don't even know if that's really the case, just what it feels like. I'm still going to have fun though. Want a drink?"

"Yes, what do you know how to make?" Isaac asked, walking away with Danny. Allison and Scott called after him to bring back something for them.

It was then that Lydia turned her head, somehow picking out her best friend's voice over the music and the group crowded around her. She was finally here! Lydia gently excused herself and crossed the large kitchen, waving to Allison; the redhead paused when she realized that two of the Stilinski brothers were standing there with her.

"Allison who did you bring with you?" she asked casually, trying to keep her face neutral.

"Scott here asked me out, he really is so sweet," the brunette replied, bumping Scott with her shoulder.

Lydia nodded and looked at Stiles, "And him?"

"Isaac invited me," Stiles answered for himself, shit-eating grin on his face.

Lydia started to say something but then Stiles's grin turned more sincere and he started waving, fingers pressed up to his nose bizarrely.

"Ran, I didn't know you were invited!" he said, using her name-sign. Since her name meant lily in Japanese, and Stiles was horrendous at finger-spelling, she taught him the sign for flower (shape of the letter 'f' tapped on both sides of the nose) and substituted the 'f' for 'r'.

Ran came over and pulled Stiles into a hug, signing back rapidly in her excitement. It had been weird for her to be here, even though Lydia had made sure to come and check on her; even Adam had said hi. Still though, it was nice to have someone to actually talk with at the party.

R: Stiles, happy to see you  
S: This was unexpected. You know Lydia?  
R: yea we have a class together but no telling.

Stiles laughed and nodded in understanding, he knew that Lydia liked to keep her brilliance hidden. He was about to Sign something else when he noticed the others around him staring.

"Oh sorry, Ran and I weren't expecting to see each other here, talk about a surprise!" Stiles explained, realizing they were all lost.

"Oh you know Ran?" Lydia asked, perking up a bit. Stiles might be a total joke on the field but if he was friends with Ran, maybe he'd be able to get her to stay awhile longer. She'd been able to tell when Ran arrived that she wasn't too comfortable with all the people, but maybe Stiles could help. She already appeared much more relaxed, probably due to the fact she had someone to actually communicate with now. It was no secret that Ran never spoke but it had completely gone over Lydia's head to try ASL, she had been content to just let Ran communicate via writing.

"We had a class together last year and she saved my ass. She's been stuck with me as a friend ever since."

"Poor girl," Allison snickered. Stiles frowned but he was saved from defending himself because Isaac and Danny returned with a few drinks.

"Here ya go Scott, Danny called it a White Russian, and one for you Allison," Isaac said, handing over the red plastic cups. He then took his own from Danny's hand, holding up his drink for a toast. "First drink of the night, to the White Russian!"

Stiles held up his can and toasted with them, laughing as Scott pulled a face when he sipped his drink. He pulled Scott's hand closer so he could sniff at the liquid in the cup, "I got the Bailey's what else is in here?"

"Vodka," Danny revealed.

He nodded, yea, that was something Scott wasn't used to; they'd had a few difference drinks here and there but mostly beers or some Jack Daniels, not vodka. Isaac seemed to be handling it okay though.

"You won this round Isaac, don't let them get out of hand," Lydia chirped before pulling Allison away to talk with her. She figured if she didn't make too big a deal about it, they wouldn't cause unnecessary trouble for her.

Isaac smiled in triumph and nudged Danny, their plan had been a success! Now that they were allowed to stay, they could kick back and have fun. Scott was looking a little lost though, since his date had been whisked away from him, but Isaac was certain that Allison would find a way to come back over.

"Why don't we go out back? Get some fresh air?" Isaac asked.

The group all agreed besides Danny who claimed he needed to find Jackson, walking back towards the living room area to find his friend.

"It's good to see you Ran, are you having fun?" Isaac asked as they wandering out the back door. The music was still loud but it wasn't as concussive since there weren't walls for the sound to bounce off of out here, Isaac sighed in relief. Ran held up her hand and made a so-so gesture, making it easy for Isaac to guess she didn't know many people here.

"Do you know anyone here? I mean, I don't want to assume Lydia invited you or that you were someone's plus one…" Isaac asked, fumbling over his words a bit.

Ran smiled and made the letter 'L' with her fingers before running it through her hair, letting Stiles translate for her.

"Lydia is the one that invited her, that uh, our name-sign for Lydia. 'L' for her name and then through the hair because Lydia's hair is like really pretty. Plus she's one of the few redheads in school so she's known for that."

"Oh name-sign? What's yours then?" Isaac asked, eager to learn about how Stiles was referenced.

Stiles groaned but showed him, explaining as he did it. "So, I go by Stiles, so letter 's' –curls his hand into a fist, with his thumb over his index and middle fingers- and this is the sign for restless –holds out a hand, palm up, then rocks his other hand over it- So basically since I can never sit still, my name-sign is the two put together."

Isaac repeated the motion, making the 's' with one hand and rocking it back and forth over his other palm. "That's cool, and it fits you to a tee."

"She was going to go with hyper –palm flat and other hand in the shape of two legs, jumping up and down- but it didn't really communicate as well with the 's', neither did the other sign for restless. What was that again?" Stiles asked, turning back to Ran

She held out two fingers like a bench and set her other hand on top, two fingers hanging over like legs. Then she bounced them from side to side.

"Oh I totally see that, like someone fidgeting in their seat," Scott commented, happily copying the movement while trying to hold his cup.

Ran turned to Isaac and then pointed to herself, wanting to show him her name-sign, since he seemed so eager to learn. She made the 'f' with her hand, similar to an ok sign, and then put it up to one side of her nose, then the other. Stiles whispered that it was the sign for flower. Then she spelled out her name which Isaac easily picked up.

"So is it like this?" he asked, twisting his fingers together to make the letter 'r' and touched it to his nose. Ran nodded exuberantly and signed yes. Isaac blushed a little bit, "So um, does your name mean flower or?"

L-i-l-y she spelled out, going slow to give Isaac time to identify the letters. Isaac pulled Ran over to one of the chairs and started going over the alphabet with her, eager to learn how to finger spell his name.

"Hey Scott, Lydia finally let me go," Allison called out, coming from inside the house. "I told her it wouldn't be much of a date if she kept me sequestered in the kitchen."

Scott looked relieved and put his drink down next to Isaac, "Want to dance?"

"Yes!" Allison pushed her drink into Stiles's free hand and pulled Scott over to the other dancers.

Stiles sputtered after her, "What am I supposed to do with this? You're tempting me and I'm supposed to drive!" He huffed and stuck it on the ground next to Scott's, pulling up a chair. He drank his soda and jiggled his leg to the beat of the music, loving the song that came on. "Hey Isaac, make sure no one messes with the drinks, I'll be back."

Isaac and Ran watched as he got up and made his way to the outskirts of the impromptu dance area. They watched as he bit his lip nervously and started bouncing to the beat, getting up the courage to just let loose, it didn't take long though. Once he saw that no one was really paying him any attention he let the song sweep him away, throwing his arms up in the air and kicking his feet. Ran tapped Isaac on the shoulder and asked him if he wanted to dance, raised brow and a smile on her face.

"Oh no, I don't… Stiles has no shame and all the rhythm, I've got two left feet when it comes to dancing."

Ran rolled her eyes, typical of him to think he can't dance yet be first string on the field; guys just seemed to be more self-conscious about dancing for some reason. Thanks to the boys being here though she was feeling braver than earlier and was ready to have some fun. So she patted Isaac's shoulder and ran out next to Stiles, huge smile on her face as she mimicked his dance moves. The change of song didn't even phase them, they just kept on moving, changing up the pace to match the new beat.

Isaac laughed to himself as he watched; happy that Stiles and Scott finally got to come to one of Lydia's parties- they were pretty cool. They hadn't been here long but no one had hassled them at all and Isaac felt like that was a good sign. He sipped at his drink and leaned back in his chair, taking in the night air. Suddenly a low growl reached his ears and he shot out of the chair, looking around for the source. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up; as he squinted into the dark corners of the yard he could feel his eyesight sharpening and his heart beat accelerate. There! Those red eyes again, they were looking right at him! Isaac snarled and stalked over to the bushes, ready to face the creature and make it pay for whatever he was going through. As he got closer though, the red eyes retreated further and further away; he didn't notice they were pulling him away from the party. The longer he stared, the more confused he got, he felt like he wanted to go with the thing and not fight it. Isaac found himself pushed to the side just as he was going to cross into the woods; loud snarls were filling his ears. When he looked up to see what was happening, the creature with the red eyes was running off, a large black wolf chasing it.

Back over by the pool, Stiles and Ran had come up with a plan to get Isaac on the dance floor; both of them felt like he needed to relax a little bit. As Stiles turned back to the chairs he felt his heart skip a beat- Isaac was gone. Immediately his fears from early came rushing back; had he lost control and gone after someone? Stiles didn't hear anyone screaming but the music was so loud… Ran saw the fear on his face and touched his shoulder, wanting to know what was wrong.

"Isaac wouldn't have left our drinks there… I gotta check on him, stay here I'll be right back." Stiles thought about asking for her help searching but if Isaac really was losing control, he wasn't going to put her in danger. He rushed off to the far side of the pool, feeling confident that Isaac wouldn't have ventured back into the loud house. Intuition paid off because he saw Isaac sitting on the edge of the lawn, looking towards the woods and his eyes were glowing.

"Oh shit," Stiles cursed and sprinted over to his brother, sliding up next to him. "Isaac, dude, are you okay?"

He watched as his brother shook his head, like he was trying to clear it; Isaac rose unsteadily to his feet and took a step into the trees. "Dude, hey stop, you're going the wrong way. Come on, let's just go home, remember you promised that if you felt funny we'd leave. I don't know if you know this but your eyes are glowing again!"

Isaac turned around when he heard that, Stiles's words clearing the haze in his head. "What? How do I make it stop?"

"I don't know! Let's head home, keep your head down so no one else notices okay… We'll get Scott on the way." Stiles put his arm around Isaac, leading him back towards the party.

"I'll take him home," a gruff voice offered, hand coming up to halt Stiles's progress.

"Yea right creep," Stiles scowled, throwing the arm off of him. He turned around to face the guy, ready to give him a piece of his mind for trying to abduct kids but then he realized the guy talking was Derek. "Oh… Derek, sorry, I didn't know it was you… I can take him home, really, it's no big thing."

Derek stepped forward and fixed Stiles with a stare, leaving no room for discussion. "I'll take him home, you and Scott should enjoy the party. I still remember where you live."

Stiles stood there dumbfounded as Derek ducked under Isaac's arm and started leading him away. They got a few steps away before he came to his senses, "Wait, Isaac, do you want to go with him? I mean, like are you okay?" He gave Isaac a meaningful look and noticed that his eyes were only dimly glowing now, much less noticeable.

"I'll be fine," Isaac promised. For some reason he felt okay with Derek so he let the older male lead him away. He completely forgot to mention to his brother why he had wandered away in the first place.

Stiles watched them disappear along the side of the house; when they fully disappeared from sight, he took off to find Scott. When he turned around, Ran was right there, looking extremely concerned.

R: Who was that man?

"He uh, it's kinda complicated. His sister used to baby-sit us when we were little. So he's kinda like a friend of the family. Isaac started feeling really sick and Derek um offered to take him home. Something about me being a kid and I should enjoy the party."

R: So you trust him? Is Isaac okay?

Stiles nodded, "Yea I trust him. Isaac probably just got food poisoning or something. He ate like right before we left for the party so it must have been an old snack or something." He gently lead Ran back towards the group, feeling vaguely uncomfortable being in the dark corner of the backyard. The two of them found Scott, Ran pulling Allison away to dance while Stiles explained the situation.

"Dude, his eyes were glowing again? Do you think Derek noticed?" Scott asked, not needing to whisper because of the music.

"Naw, if he had noticed I'm sure he would have reacted to it, Isaac had his head down. We should head home before long, I mean… I would just feel better knowing we were home to keep an eye on him."

Scott agreed completely, "I hate to ditch Allison but if any of what you said might be true, he needs someone to keep an eye on him. We'll wait a bit to give Derek time to drop him off, then we'll tell the girls we're leaving."

They made their way back to the two girls, effortlessly jumping into the dance; if their smiles were a little forced, neither girl commented on it.

*Camaro*

Isaac looked out the window, hoping to keep his eyes hidden from view; he was so preoccupied that it took him a few moments to realize they weren't going the right way. "Derek I thought you said you remembered where we lived?"

"I do," came the short reply.

"Then why are you going the wrong way?"

Derek huffed, Laura had told him to keep the answers to a minimum but Isaac obviously needed some kind of answer. "I'm taking you somewhere first, Laura wants to talk with you. Just… you'll find out more then okay? After that, I'll take you home."

"Laura? Oh, okay then…"

He sat in the passenger seat quietly, just staring out the window until Derek took the turn off for the Reservation- the same one that Stiles had used a couple of nights ago.

"We're going to have to walk for a bit, it's too dangerous to drive the whole way."

"Dangerous? What the hell do you mean? I can hardly see anything and with those animal attacks, this isn't the safest place to be. Maybe you didn't hear about them but-"

"Isaac use your eyes, you'll be able to see. And as for the animal attacks, the animal is otherwise occupied right now, so hurry up!"

Isaac scowled and climbed out of the car, Derek sure didn't get any sunnier in his years away from Beacon Hills, he was just as surly as he remembered. He trudged after Derek, blinking a few times before his eyes thankfully adjusted, it must be the full moon that allowed him to see so well this late. Suddenly Derek paused, holding up a hand for Isaac to stop moving.

"Dammit, what are they doing here?" Derek muttered to himself. "Isaac, time to run, go!"

"What?"

Derek snarled at him and pushed the boy in the direction of their old house; the Hunters weren't supposed to be out here, this was just his luck. Now he had to keep them away from Isaac, the poor kid had no idea they were even trying to hurt him. He ended up towing Isaac behind him, knowing the boy would just get lost if he was in the lead. Derek cursed to himself, he was going to give away their position but Laura needed to know what was going on. He tilted his head back as they ran, letting out a howl and concentrating on what he had heard. Seconds later there was a warm sensation inside his head- Laura had heard him and was coming.

"Isaac listen up, there is a lot going on right now and this wasn't supposed to be how you found out but, you're a Werewolf. Right now you're in danger because the Hunters are nearby. You do not want to get caught by them, period. They have a nasty habit of shooting first and asking questions later-"

Isaac jerked his hand out of Derek's grasped and stopped running, taking a few steps away. "Why the hell is everyone telling me I'm a Werewolf? Has everyone gone crazy? Hunters? What does that mean?"

"Derek, why are you stopping?" a second voice called out from the shadows. "Hurry up, they're close!"

Derek spun around, "Cora why the hell aren't you at the house?"

His sister appeared out of the darkness, eyes glowing amber, "That was the first place they went, I didn't have a choice. I was leading them away and was going to circle back but then I heard you howl."

"Take Isaac and-"

Derek's words were cut off when there was a twang and then Isaac was screaming out in pain, his shoulder pinned to the tree behind him. There was an arrow shaft sticking out a good foot from his body, Isaac eyeing it in pain. Derek snarled and pushed Cora behind a tree, quickly stepping over to the trapped Beta. He gripped the arrow shaft and snapped it, pulling Isaac free; when he looked over the Beta Derek realized that he'd shifted. That was good, less of a chance that the Hunters would recognize him, plus their vision sucked and they were deep enough in the shadows. No one should be able to identify them.

"Cora take him back to the house, I'll lead them away, hurry," he whispered.

"Be safe," Cora returned, grabbing Isaac's arm and pulling him away.

Derek spun and faced the small group of Hunters standing at the crest of a small hill; he snarled and ran at them, easily tacking one of the smaller members before shooting off into the darkness. As he ran, he got wind of their scent and Derek's mood completely soured- Argent! What were they doing back in town? Did Laura know? He thought about howling again to warn her but suddenly she was beside him, still in wolf form. She strode forward purposefully, head held high and red eyes glowing.

When Chris and his men got close enough she sat down and let out a warning bark. Derek snarled when one of the men leveled his crossbow at her but Chris put his hand up to stop him.

"Hale?"

Laura nodded her head and stood up, taking a few more steps towards the group; Derek matched her steps, wanting to stay within range in case she needed his help. Chris signaled for his men to fall back, meeting her in the middle.

"I didn't know you were back in town. You aren't the Werewolf terrorizing Beacon Hills are you?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

She snarled at him and shook her head, how dare he think that?! She looked over her shoulder and let out a low woof, signaling to her brother. When Derek stepped forward, Chris's hand shot up to his holster but Derek shook his head. Instead of attacking, he slid his jacket off and held it out. Laura walked over to him and easily transformed, using his jacket as cover; after she slipped it over her shoulders, she turned back to Chris.

"I would never hurt anyone in this town, and neither would my Pack, you know this Argent!"

"I just had to be sure. We just recently moved back here, following the trail of an unknown Werewolf. It's killed a lot of people and we just want to do our job."

Laura lifted her chin, "Well Beacon Hills is Hale territory, don't forget that. We came back here to protect it. We'd heard about the trouble maker as well and I'm here to take care of it. In fact I was on his trail when you started chasing my brother, he howled for me. Now I lost him, thanks to you and your men."

Chris crossed his arms, "Like I said, I had no idea you were back in town, if I had known, I would have stayed out of the Reservation. What can you tell me about the other Werewolf?"

"He's an Alpha but he's out of control, and weak; he doesn't have a Pack at all but he's trying to make one. That's why he's been attacking people, but sometimes it seems like he doesn't know what he's doing because he tears them to shreds. Others just didn't take the Bite and died. You're lucky I'm here because I tracked him all the way into town, ready to jump a party. He's looking for young people, someone he can easily over power when he turns them."

"An Alpha?" Chris frowned, he had been hoping it was just a crazy Omega that was good at covering its tracks. Now he had to worry about people in town getting turned, this was going to be messy. His mind shot to Allison, Laura said she'd tracked the Alpha to a party. High probability it was the same one, but thankfully he'd been chased off before anyone got hurt.

"Mr. Argent, why do you trust her information? How do you know it isn't really her and her Pack?" one of his subordinates asked, crossbow still loaded and ready to shoot.

Laura flashed her red eyes at him but Chris handled it. He turned his back on the two Werewolves, showing his men that he had a huge amount of trust. "The Alpha I'm talking to is Laura Hale, the Hale Pack and I go back quite a few years. There is a trust between us, one that I have no reason to question. The Hales are one of the most respected families and they have never harmed an innocent-"

"Then why does he have blue eyes?" someone cut in.

"That was a matter that was dealt with, between the previous Hale Alpha and myself. His eyes may be blue but my previous statement still stands- there were some unforeseen circumstances that caused that. It doesn't concern any of you. If Laura says it wasn't her Pack and that we're looking for a rogue Alpha, then that's what we're looking for." Chris narrowed his eyes at his men, making sure that all of them understood the situation. Satisfied, he turned around and faced Laura again. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding; we'll stay out of the Reservation unless you give us a reason to come here. I'll be in touch."

Laura shed Derek's jacket and shifted back into her wolf form, wanting to impress upon the Hunters the amount of power and prestige she had. Derek threw his jacket back on and disappeared into the shadows after his sister. Chris smirked as he watched them go, Laura had certainly grown into her powers. He waved for his men to head back to the SUVs and remembered to when he'd last seen her.

*Flashback, 2 weeks after the fire*

Chris shot out the front door when the motion sensor alarms went off, Victoria going straight to Allison's room to keep her safe. He raised his gun when he saw three figures storming up the lawn and right at him, red eyes immediately alerting him to the situation.

"Argent, where is she?!" Laura called out, stepping into the light.

"Where is who? What are you doing here? And why are you the Alpha now, what happened to Talia?" Chris asked, lowering his gun just a few inches.

"Like you don't know! I thought you had a code Argent! You promised you'd do nothing to us as long as we kept to our half of the promise!" Laura's voice was dangerously low now, the anger was palpable. Behind her Derek was holding onto Cora who was growling loudly but it was obvious he was having trouble keeping himself under control as well.

"No one in your family went back on that, we realized the area was completely under control, that's why we left," Chris explained, finally reholstering his gun to show Laura he didn't want to escalate. "We came here because they were having some unexplained deaths and we were going to be staying until Allison finished grade school. What happened?"

"Kate happened! She burned down our house, with everyone in it! We're the only three left now!"

Chris took a step back, the force of her words hitting him solidly in his chest. "But… not everyone in your family was… The kids?"

"All of them, gone! We almost lost Cora too except Kate was too slow! Now where is she?! She deserves to pay for what she did to us!"

He held up his arms when she stepped forward like she was going to enter the house. "My sister isn't here, we went our separate ways after Beacon Hills. It's just my wife and daughter in there and I would prefer if Victoria didn't think she had to shoot you. What… what proof do you have it wasn't an accident? Are the police looking into it?"

Laura's face twisted with rage, looking like she was about to explode, but then she crumpled to the ground. "They say it was just an accident, a faulty fuse or something, but it's bullshit. I think Kate paid someone off, she had to have! There was no way they would miss the blatant arson. The remains reeked of some kind of chemical accelerant, and there was mountain ash around the house. So don't you dare try and tell me it was an accident, someone made it so they couldn't escape!"

"I'll come with you and look at the place, if there is mountain ash, I swear I'll look into it but, I know it was none of my men… they were all on the road with me. What night was this?"

"It was two weeks ago, that was how long it took for us to get everything squared away and then hunt you down. But I don't have an issue with you, I can tell you had no idea, I just want Kate."

Chris knelt down, "That's three days after we left town, why do you think it was her?"

Laura gave him a dark look, "When Derek and I ran up to the house, we both caught her scent, fresh."

"That's not something that I can go off of, you know that," Chris sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. When Laura growled, he hastened to add, "I'm not saying that I don't believe you, if you say you caught her scent then you did, I just… Kate was known to scope out your house, Talia had told me about it. So it wouldn't be that strange to have her scent close to the house. I know it was against the promise but our dad let her get away with anything, even though he wasn't in charge of Beacon Hills any more. But if I'm to take this seriously, I can't use her scent as proof, you know that."

"Neither of us saw her, and when we heard Cora gasping for air, we didn't even think about trying to chase her. We ran straight to the house."

"How did Cora manage to get out when no one else did?" Chris asked, looking to the youngest Hale now.

"There was a Pack meeting down in the basement… I was grounded for cheating on a test and Derek was excused because he had a date with some girl. Laura was told to keep an eye on him so she followed him. Anyways, I was up in my room, on the second floor, I smelled the smoke and ran down to check on them but the basement was completely engulfed in flames." Cora hugged herself and her voice got quiet as she relieved those moments. "I couldn't get in, and Mom just yelled at me to get out, they were going to try the windows… There was so much screaming! But I did what I was told, I tried the front door but it wouldn't budge, back door either… So I ran upstairs and jumped out the window; by that time there was smoke everywhere and I couldn't breathe. I don't… I have no idea how I made it, I mean there was mountain ash…"

"You probably made it out the window before the circle was complete… but that means that whoever did this, knew which direction you two would be coming from. They probably put the house between you and them when they escaped. That or they are the luckiest person in the world," Chris mused darkly. "They had to be right there when Cora went out the window, just finishing the circle."

"And isn't it convenient that the fire was started in the basement, cutting off the only escape route my family had? Almost like someone knew they were all down there! Kate was the only one that kept that close of an eye on us, she did this!" Laura pushed, wiping her eyes and standing again.

Chris stood with her, "Like I said, I'll come back with you and check it out, give my opinion on whether it was arson or not. But based on just what Cora told me, it's not looking like just an accident. Let me go tell Victoria, then I'll come with you, right now."

Laura nodded thankfully and watched him go back into the house. Their mother had always spoke highly of Chris, glad that he'd been old enough to 'inherit' the responsibility of the town. The patriarch of the family, Gerard, never got along with Talia so when he moved to a different city she was happy. He was Deucalion's problem now and Deucalion would probably have more luck dealing with him than she did, something to do with the fact she was a woman probably. Laura could see now why her mother respected Chris- even faced with the possibility that his sister was a brutal killer, he was willing to listen to them and check out their house. Minutes later he was back out front, keys in his hand and a pack slung over his shoulder.

When they arrived back in Beacon Hills, Laura led him down the long private trail that went to their house. Cora and Derek both stayed in the car, refusing to look at the damage. Chris had to pause a moment, taking in the sight of the wreckage, even in the moonlight, it was a very depressing sight to take in; he couldn't imagine how much worse it would look in the daytime. He let Laura lead him to where she'd found the mountain ash trail.

"It was obviously broken when the firefighters arrived, trying to save everyone. I know it was put in place because it was about that time that I… I inherited the Alpha powers. I was so scared that I just ran at the house but the magic threw me back on my ass. I could still hear some screams and I wasn't able to save them… Just barely an Alpha and already letting down my family… All the screams had stopped by the time the fire truck arrived."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that… I can't imagine losing everyone like that, let alone know they were killed for being different." Chris straightened up and followed the line around the house. Most of it had been blown away or kicked aside in the days following but he could see it well enough. It had been placed right along the foundation of the house, ensuring that no one would climb out a window and potentially survive. Cora had been remarkably lucky. Next he studied the inside of the house, carefully navigating his way to the basement stairs. He didn't have a nose like the Hales did but even he could see the intense scorch marks on the wall- clear sign of accelerant like Laura said. When he went back upstairs he studied the doors and found scratch marks along the bottoms of the door jamb. Someone must have used a stick to jam up the doors to stop them from opening, like Cora said. Something that would burn away in the fire and leave no trace… He wasn't even an experienced fire investigator and he could see the signs, obvious pay –off involved. The biggest surprise was how someone would have managed to get all of this done without the wolves noticing?

"You were completely right Laura, even I can see all the signs so there is no reason an investigator should have missed them. I didn't find any signs that is was Kate specifically but, it was definitely a Hunter. I'll talk to the investigator and see if he won't tell me more about what happened. Once he hears my name, he should be willing to talk if it was my sister or anyone affiliated with her."

"Don't bother. He's dead. Car accident, news said he was drunk and ran into a tree. Unless you can talk to ghosts, he won't be telling you anything."

Chris was reeling at the information, this was going a lot deeper than he thought already. "I… I can't promise that I'll find any answers but I know what was done here was wrong. Whoever is responsible needs to pay for it, I will help you find them, I swear."

Laura nodded her head glumly. She knew he was telling the truth, even if it was his sister, but like he said- he wasn't going to throw her to the wolves (literally) without some more concrete proof. They parted ways, Laura taking her brother and sister back to their new apartment to mourn.

*Present Day*

Chris was still trying to figure out who set that fire, it gnawed at the back of his mind on the nights he couldn't sleep. He'd stayed in touch with Laura for awhile, just via letter but no new leads ever popped up and they'd both just given up. He hadn't wanted to, and he'd still pursue it if he found the tiniest hint of a trail but so far it had gone cold. There wasn't any concrete proof but Laura and Derek both found her scent there and Kate did have a very suspicious knack for knowing where the Hales would be any given day. Plus it was no secret that she had a thing for dangerous guys and a Hale wouldn't have been the first Werewolf fling for his sister. He shuddered to think that she'd taken advantage of young Derek and killed all the Hales on the same night Derek had a date. All those similarities ran through his head but he hadn't been able to bring himself to confront his sister, it was too hard to do. It helped that he hadn't seen her once since they'd left Beacon Hills.

Chris looked off to where the Hale siblings disappeared one last time before following his men off the Reservation. He'd never told Laura but he held her in the same high respect as her mother. That night when she came to the house, it would have been easy for them to just storm inside and go down fighting for justice. But Laura maintained composure- sure she'd been full of rage which was completely understandable. But that rage, coupled with the fact she probably didn't have full control over her new powers yet, Chris could easily imagine how bad the night could have gone. Instead she stayed completely rational and it was because of that, Derek and Cora had maintained control as well.

*Hale House*

Cora lead Isaac to the porch of their old house, sitting down on the steps and ducking her head onto her knees.

"Cora…Why do your eyes glow like mine?" Isaac asked, still not fully grasping the reality of what was happening.

"We're Werewolves Isaac, just like Derek told you, and there are Hunters out there that want to kill us! We're lucky it's the Argents that are in town…"

"Argents? Wait what? They are the Hunters?" Isaac's mind was reeling. Scott was at a party right now with their daughter, he had been in their house! "Oh god, what if they had found out I was a Werewolf.., I was just there a few hours ago!"

Cora narrowed her eyes as she looked up at him, "Why the hell were you are the Argents's house?"

Isaac rubbed the back of his neck, "Scott had a date with Allison… they are at the party right now actually. That was where Derek found me."

The other Beta was about to start yelling at Isaac for being stupid (even though there was no way he could have known) but there was the sound of someone approaching so she kept her mouth shut. Derek walked into the clearing, his sister at his hip; Isaac stared at both of them.

"That's a really, really big wolf… it's not going to eat me is it?" Isaac whimpered, taking a step closer to the house. He did a double take when Derek smirked and he could have swore he heard the wolf huff in laughter.

Cora cleared her throat and retrieved the blanket from just inside the doorway, heading to her sister. She held it open as Derek went to stand next to Isaac, letting the Alpha make her appearance. Isaac fell back against the rotting banister when Laura appeared behind the blanket, not believing his eyes when the wolf's feet turned human.

"I'm sorry your evening was cut short Isaac, I was hoping we'd have more time to talk in peace. We have a lot of information to cover and not a lot of time to cover it."

*Lydia's House*

The boys stayed for a few more songs before Stiles finally decided to be the bad guy, Scott had gotten too into the dancing and seemed to have forgotten their agreement. "Scotty, we should check on Isaac."

"Where did he disappear to?" Allison asked, it hadn't escaped her attention that he'd just disappeared all of a sudden.

"A friend took him home, he wasn't feeling well. May be food poisoning but we're not 100% sure what's going on… They wanted us to stay and enjoy the party but, I mean… I'm feeling a little guilty that we aren't with him," Stiles admitted.

Scott turned to Allison, "I'm sorry we have to cut this so short, I had a great time dancing with you."

"I totally understand, I know you three are close. If I had someone like that, I'd be worried too." Allison patted Scott's shoulder in sympathy then smiled deviously, "That just means you'll have to make it up to me later."

"Like a second date?" Scott asked, his whole face lighting up.

"Yea, like a second date, maybe one where it isn't so noisy though," she laughed.

Stile turned to Ran, "I'm glad I got to see you, sorry we've got to cut out early. Maybe you could stay here and party with Allison? She seems pretty nice."

Ran nodded her head, she could tell that Allison was a really genuine person by the way she acted around Scott. She could probably feel okay staying with her for a little while longer before going home to recharge. Before he could leave, she pulled him into a hug and signed that she'd see him on Monday. As the boys left, Allison grabbed her hand and they continued to dance happily; the moment was ruined when one of Lydia's other friends, maybe Ashley, came up and made a comment.

"Told you to be careful, when one brother goes, they all go. They aren't worth your time."

Ran narrowed her eyes at the girl, comments like that weren't necessary and there was absolutely nothing wrong with any of the three boys. At least it seemed like Allison agreed because she held onto Ran's hand and pulled her further into the crowd, eager to get away from the naysayer.

*Jeep*

"Okay, so I mean, Isaac seemed in control right? You don't think he'd attack Mom and Dad right?"

Stiles shook his head, "He looked a little out of it but definitely not out of control at all. Maybe the full moons are as bad for Werewolves like everyone thought!"

"Or he's not a Werewolf and something else is going on," Scott mumbled, worried about his brother.

"Yea I know, it's absolutely crazy but, everything connected… it's too perfect for anything else to even come close to making sense," Stiles argued as he pulled into the driveway.

Both boys were a little apprehensive as they entered the house, all the lights were still off so that either meant the parents were asleep… or they didn't have time to turn the lights on before Isaac attacked. They quietly went up the stairs and stopped to listen in at their parent's door; they heard some soft snoring and were beyond relieved.

"Okay, time to check on Isaac," Stiles whispered, moving down to the last bedroom. He had to suppress a shout when he saw the bed was empty. "Scott is he in your room, or mine? Please tell me he was feeling lonely and curled up in our beds instead…"

Scott quickly opened the other two bedrooms and shook his head, not there either. Stiles narrowed his eyes and ran as quietly as he could back downstairs. He was going to call Isaac and figure out where Derek had taken him.

*Hale House*

"I know Derek told you, but you're a Werewolf now, and you have to keep yourself in control. If you show anyone what you are and cause a panic, the Argents will come after you. If you lose control and attack someone, they will come after you. As far as I can tell, they don't know that anyone has been bitten and survived, so you're in the clear. Please keep it that way," Laura explained.

Isaac let out a huge breath, "So they don't know I've been bitten? Thank God!"

"Not yet they don't but I'm sure it won't be long before they start to assume that the Alpha has managed to turn someone so you cannot let your guard down. The worst part is that I can't protect you… not yet at least."

"Why not? I mean, clearly you have some kind of amazing power… what do you mean you can't help me?"

Laura took a few steps forward and touched his shoulder, "Isaac, I'm not your Alpha, you aren't a part of my Pack."

"What does that even mean?" Isaac whimpered, completely confused.

"I can't explain it all right now, it's getting late and you need to learn to shift back before you do anything else but… Alpha's are Werewolves that are the leaders of Packs. We're the ones with red eyes. Betas are our followers, like Derek and Cora, they choose to give me their loyalty. There are also Omegas, ones that travel with no Pack and they are generally weak and very wild. Since you are a turned wolf, you are under the command of the one that turned you."

Isaac paled, "You mean the wild asshole that's going around and killing people? Is… is that why I keep having dreams about him?"

"Yes, he's trying to communicate with you, form a bond. I don't think he knows how to though, he's probably a new Alpha, and it's not easy to learn about your new powers. It's important that you fight his control over you or he will make you do something awful."

"Oh god… I think I already did… I woke up this morning and there was all this dirt and leaves in my room, and I had a dream that I was out hunting with… him. It wasn't just a dream though was it? Did I really kill and eat a deer?"

Laura straightened and looked at Derek, "He's stronger than we thought… he actually got you to go with him… Isaac I will explain more to you later, but right now I need you to shift back."

"I don't know what that means!"

"Hey, calm down, the shift is related to your heart beat, and your emotions. Anything that makes your heart speed up, will trigger a shift until you find your Anchor. Cora, show him."

Cora stepped forward and shifted for Isaac to see, the teen's hands coming to his face to see if he looked like that. He whimpered when he saw his hands and felt his brow and fangs. When did this happen?

"It's okay Isaac, you can make yourself go back to normal, just calm down. Your Anchor is something that will focus you, something that no matter what, will calm your heart rate okay? Just start thinking. It can take awhile to find but you'll find it. Even if all you can do right now is count your breaths, it will help slow down your heart and you'll shift back," Laura whispered.

Isaac watched as Cora shifted back to human, even got her eyes to stop glowing. Right, calming thoughts… He closed his eyes and remembered the taste of the tea that Melissa always made them whenever they were feeling down or stressed out. How, even if it wasn't anything special, the moment they drank it, they could feel the stress melt away. He thought of his family in general and how they made him happy and feel safe. He was loved and he deserved it.

"There ya go, good job," Laura congratulated, squeezing his arm. "Now, I'm glad we found you at the party, I have no doubt that the Alpha was there looking for you. He was hoping to seal the bond between you since this was the first full moon but we managed to mess up his plans. Full moons are dangerous for Werewolves Isaac, our bloodlust is at an all time high and it is hard to control. Luckily the night is almost over and you look exhausted anyways-"

She was interrupted when Isaac's phone went off in his pocket. "Oh that must be Stiles or Scott… I'm supposed to be home and they are probably worried about me…"

Derek scowled and pulled the phone out of the teenagers pocket, walking away a few steps and answering it. "Can I help you?"

"Dude, where the hell did you take Isaac, you said you were bringing him home. I swear to god if you turned out to be some kind of creep or-"

"Stiles shut up. Laura wanted to speak with him about something so we stopped by to talk to her. He's fine I promise, he'll be home soon." Derek hung up the phone and shut it off so Stiles couldn't call back and interrupt again. He handed the phone to Isaac.

"Anyways as I was saying, you'll be okay for the next few weeks but the shift can hit you at any time until you get a solid Anchor okay, so whatever happens, do not lose your temper. Also I think it would be best if you had someone keep an eye on you when you sleep… if the Alpha gets you to hunt with him again, the Argents might find you. And Isaac, don't tell your brothers… I know they are important to you but this needs to stay a secret."

Isaac laughed at the absurdity of everything, it was just too much now. Besides, he'd never keep a secret from his brothers. "Does it count if Stiles and Scott already know? They figured it out before I did… or well Stiles figured it all out and showed us his proof. He already thinks I'm a Werewolf…"

Laura shook her head and grinned, "I should have figured that was the case. Fine, I can't ask you to keep this secret from them since they are already in on it but do not tell your parents. They probably won't understand and just send you to a therapist. We'll meet up again soon to explain this, and we might as well bring Scott and Stiles along- the more they understand about it the better."

"Laura, are you sure?" Derek asked.

She nodded, "Yea, I'm sure. If Stiles had figured all this out in just a few days, I'm sure he can help us help Isaac. Plus if they know the real reason to stop Isaac from leaving his bed in the middle of the night, it will be safer for them."

"Okay fine, you're the Alpha. I'll take him home. Be on the lookout for us, we'll leave a note for you in the future when it's safe for you to find us. Come on, back in the car."

Isaac thanked Laura for her help and walked back to the car. Really he was just waiting to wake up in his bed and assume this was all just a drunken dream. All of Stiles's talk of Werewolves got stuck in his mind and when he had too much to drink, this is what his subconscious thought of. Yea… that sounded plausible.

*Stilinski Home*

Scott and Stiles were both pacing the front lawn, waiting for any sign of Isaac or Derek. Stiles had been absolutely pissed when Derek had hung up on him and there had better be a good reason for it! The minutes ticked by before they finally saw headlights coming towards the house. A sleek black Camaro pulled up and Isaac opened the passenger door, thank goodness he was safe now! They ran up as he closed the door and he pulled them both into a hug.

"I'm so glad to see you, tonight has been so weird and I just want to go to bed," he mumbled.

"They didn't do anything to you right?" Scott asked, looking at the taillights driving away.

Isaac shook his head, "No, just… talked. I'll tell you about it in the morning, I promise. Can I sleep with you two?"

Stiles rubbed his back, "Of course man, let's go get the blankets set up."

The trio headed into the house and went upstairs, Scott and Stiles keeping a close eye on Isaac, just to make sure he didn't do anything weird. By the time they got all the blankets ready on the floor, all three of them collapsed in a heap- the night had taken its toll on all of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta daaaaaaa What do you guys think of this version of events? I'm writing Chris as a much cooler dude (not that he isn't cool in the show) but that he has a greater history with the Hales and is willing to work with them. I'm loving Laura as an Alpha, it's been a lot of fun to write for her and I got a lot in store for the female Alpha =D
> 
> Note: When I had Derek howl for Laura I was playing off of what was said in the Teen Wolf universe, about how in some circumstances the Alpha can have a telepathic connection with and/or psuedo control over their Betas. What Derek was doing was communicating with her that he heard the Hunters nearby and relaying what they had been saying. The warm sensation was Laura's way of answering him and reassuring him that she was on her way to protect them.
> 
> Another note: I forgot to mention it earlier but I do have an important distinction to make. Stiles uses Signed English and not actual ASL so those differences will pop up when I write for Stiles. I wanted to show that he knows how to Sign but that he hasn't totally grasped how actual Signed conversations are presented. Let me know what you all think so far! ^.^


	9. Stiles Wants Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac tells his brothers about what the Hales told him but Stiles wants more information. So they might as well just go to see Laura right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Chapter =D   
> **Edited, I'm moving all the kiddie flashbacks to their own story. So if they weren't really your thing it's okay =D I kept in the flashbacks that were directly related to the story but all the drabble ones will be in their own story. It will be up shortly =D

*Sunday Morning*

Isaac rolled over and snuggled with Stiles, keeping his eyes closed to chase away the dream from last night. He didn't want to remember Cora's face, or how Laura somehow transformed into a black wolf… The image of his clawed hands was the thing that caused him to finally sit up and hold them out in front of him. He signed in relief to see that they were still just hands, although it would have been unlikely that Scott and Stiles would have let him sleep if he might have disemboweled them. Isaac listened to the sounds of the house, both Mom and Dad were downstairs, and they'd want to hear about the party… But his brothers were going to ask him about last night- he didn't even know where to start!

"Hey you guys, wake up… I figure I should at least start explaining before we head downstairs. I have a lot to tell you so… the sooner we get started, the sooner you can ask questions I guess," Isaac mumbled, shaking both of his brothers.

"Oh right, answers… almost forgot about that, I was just happy to find out that you didn't try to eat anyone and that Derek wasn't some creeper that was going to stick you in a hole in his basement," Stiles returned, stretching lazily.

"So, what happened after you left the party, just start at the beginning I guess. I'll try to keep Stiles from interrupting," Scott offered.

Isaac offered them both a smile before he laid back on his pillow, it would be easier to explain if he just stared up at the ceiling instead of at them. "Okay so… Derek told me that Laura wanted to talk to me about something and that's why he wasn't taking me home right away. We actually went to their old house… it's still standing, barely. But um, well I guess I'm already leaving something out…"

"What do yo-"

Scott reached over Isaac and slapped Stiles's arm, "Shhh no interrupting, he's getting there!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Scott, I don't want you to take this the wrong way okay, I'm just… I'm just telling you what I saw okay." Isaac waited until Scott acknowledged him before continuing. "So, Derek drove me to the same Reserve entrance as the one Stiles took that night I got bit. Said that it wasn't safe to just drive up to the house, turns out he was right. Apparently I am a Werewolf, for real, and so are the Hales… But, also… there are Hunters… people that come after Werewolves… even though I haven't done anything! I was shot with an arrow, right through my shoulder, although it's completely healed now, thankfully. You'll never guess who the Hunters are."

"Dude you were shot?! Where was Derek?" Stiles demanded in a fierce whisper, not wanting to alert their parents that they were awake yet. He didn't even care who these so-called Hunters were, they needed to be arrested!

"Derek was right there, I was arguing with him and neither of us heard them get close. Good thing is, I'm really certain they didn't see my face. Derek pulled the arrow out and had Cora take me to the house while he led them away," Isaac explained.

Scott cleared his throat, "Who were they? It wasn't Deaton was it? I mean, he's my boss… so, if it was him it would be really awkward. Was that why you told me not to take offense?"

"No… worse…" Isaac paused, unsure if he should just blurt it out give time for Scott to guess.

Both brothers frowned and thought about his answer, Scott mumbling, "Who would be worse than my boss? I mean, it's obviously not Mom or Dad, we would have noticed if they were leading a secret life."

Isaac laughed a bit, "I hadn't even thought of how awkward it would have been if it was our parents…"

Stiles sat up, realization dawning on him. Isaac only warned Scott to not take it the wrong way and was now mentioning it being awkward. That really only left one option since Deaton was cleared, "Oh no, you don't mean…?"

"Who?" Scott asked, "What am I missing?"

"It was Chris Argent and some other men, but he was definitely the leader," Isaac sighed, figuring it was better to just put it out there.

Scott immediately scoffed and gave Isaac a look, "Very funny. Why in the hell would it be Allison's dad? They literally just moved here."

Isaac and Stiles shared a look, "I don't think he's joking Scott… I mean, he was shot with an arrow, that's not something you mess around with."

"Maybe they moved here because they are Hunters… Remember, we overheard Dad talking with the animal control guys awhile back, they were worried that something was coming this way? Maybe the Werewolf had maimed people before, on his way here. If people like Animal Control get newsletter on dangerous animals in nearby areas then Hunters probably would too right?" Isaac guessed.

"Hey yea, that's right… They knew the 'animal' was heading in this general direction and told Dad to keep an eye out for any trouble, just in case. Then a bit later, that first woman went missing… Hunters would probably try and keep track of the same type of thing, so maybe they planned on intercepting him here?" Stiles added on.

"But why would they move here? I mean, that costs lots of money and you saw their house! You don't just move into a house like that for a few months and then leave again," Scott countered.

"I don't know, we didn't really talk about the Argents much, feel free to write it down and ask the next time we see Laura and Derek… I was too worried about the rest of the information I was getting," Isaac admitted. Scott had a very valid point, why move your whole family to a town just to track and kill a Werewolf that was mauling people? Did that mean more trouble was coming their way?

"What else did they tell you? You were gone for awhile," Stiles asked.

"Um, they told me to stay away from the Argents, more importantly they told me to not shift in front of people… Because if I shift then other people will freak out and then the Hunters will know what I am and try to kill me-"

"Okay, before you continue, please explain what a shift is?" Scott cut in, sensing that Isaac was just going to carry on.

Isaac nodded, "Oh right, sorry. Um you know how my eyes glow? That's a part of the shift, but also I get claws too, so that was probably how I cut you so bad Stiles. I get fangs as well and my face kinda… I don't know how to describe it, it does something."

"Oh, so they call your moon transformation a shift?" Stiles asked.

"No, it's not tied to the moon, it's tied to my emotions. That was the next thing they explained; the full moon is just when my um… what did they call it? Oh, my bloodlust is at its peak. But my shifting, that's tied to my heartbeat, so any time it goes to high, I wolf out I guess. It's not like I've tried to test the theory you know?"

"How do they expect you to control it?" Scott frowned, it's not like you can just make yourself never get mad ever again.

"I have to find something called my Anchor, it's what calms me down when I think about it. That's probably going to be hard for me… Laura didn't have much time to explain it since she wanted to get me home. Oh, big point of the night… I'm bound to the guy that bit me… like he's my Alpha and he's trying to control me…"

Stiles narrowed his eyes, "So like those dreams you were having… and the leaves and stuff, that was him making you leave the house at night?"

Isaac nodded, "Laura said that since you two already know about my new… condition, you should keep an eye on me at night so I don't leave anymore. If he makes me kill anyone, the Hunters won't hesitate to kill me, and if I'm just out with him and they come, they'll probably just kill me anyways."

"We'll totally make sure that you don't leave anymore. That actually works out well enough since it won't be weird that we're all sleeping in the same room," Scott laughed.

"Laura didn't tell you how to fight that? Or how to find a good Anchor? She just left you hanging, no way, that doesn't sound like her," Stiles argued.

"Like I said, we were kinda in a rush, and then you called and basically threatened Derek. But she said she'd find me again later and explain more stuff."

Stiles stood up, "No, we need answers now! Let's go, get dressed, we're going to make them explain."

"Dude, Stiles, we can't just force them to tell me anything, they probably see me as a hassle anyways now, some stupid Werewolf that can't stay in control. They've probably got better things to do than explain stuff to me."

"Bullshit, Laura was our babysitter for years, she loves us! The least she can do is give us some more in-depth answers, let's go." Stiles stomped over to his closet and grabbed a shirt at random, expecting Scott and Isaac to do the same.

The two brothers looked at each other, sighing, Stiles was too stubborn sometimes. They both knew there was no point in trying to talk him out of this so they stood up and went to their rooms to get dressed as well. Secretly Isaac was a little glad Stiles was pushing so hard for answers; he'd never have the guts to approach the Hales on his own. He'd wait for them to find him and even then he'd probably be afraid to ask any questions about what was going on with him- asking questions meant admitting it was true. Stiles had no qualms about that though, he took the truth of Werewolves in stride and was going to get all the information he could.

As the other two boys went to find some clothes, Stiles paced in his room, he didn't want to believe that the Hales weren't trustworthy but until he had proof they were being 100% upfront with them, he'd be wary of any information. Really, the thought of Laura lying to them seemed so absurd but, Isaac was his brother and he needed to know that Isaac was in good hands. Especially considering the fact there was a rogue Alpha going around town attacking people and trying to brainwash his brother! Thankfully it didn't take long before both of the boys were ready to go, the three of them heading downstairs.

"Hey, how was the party?" Melissa asked, hearing them all come down.

"It was pretty fun, but we have to go do something real quick, we'll tell you about it when we get back?" Stiles asked, pausing long enough to let her answer.

Melissa tilted her head, "Everything okay?"

"Yea, Danny just wanted to see us about something, maybe something he overheard the coach say or something. We didn't much of a chance to talk to him at the party," Stiles said, the lie just tumbling out of his mouth. Now he was going to have to remember to come up with something to tell her when then got back… this was becoming a serious problem.

"Oh okay then. Drive safe, and don't be gone all day, Dad wants to actually see you before he goes to work okay?" Melissa told them.

"Sounds good, be back soon," Isaac promised as Stiles herded them out the front door.

Scott bit his lip as he climbed into the Jeep, feeling less than hopeful about their chances, "How do we know where they are going to be? And what if they are busy?"

"You sound as bad as Isaac, they'll make time for us or so help me I'll go to Argent," Stiles threatened.

"You wouldn't!" Isaac squeaked, if he did that then he'd be suspicious of them and Isaac would probably get shot again.

"Well I'll tell them I will, then they'll make time for us," Stiles amended.

The ride to the old Hale house was quiet, each boy lost in their thoughts of what they were going to find. Stiles cursed quietly when he almost missed the turnoff for their private driveway since it was almost completely covered with leaves and overgrown grass. But if one looked close enough they could see the faint tire tracks of at least one other car that had driven down the path. All three of them felt a chill run down their spine when they finally saw the house; none of them had been allowed to venture here after the fire so they had no idea just how bad it had been. They sat in the Jeep for a moment, too transfixed by the wreckage to get out of the vehicle.

*Hale House*

Laura trotted back into the house panting heavily- she'd gotten up early this morning in the hopes of picking up on the trail of the Alpha and she thought she finally had a good lead on him. Her ears twitched as she heard the sound of a vehicle on the road, much to closer for her liking. Laura let out a quick bark to warn Derek and Cora while she headed up to the bathroom to change back into her clothes. By the time she was human and dressed again, her two siblings were standing at the top of the stairs.

"It's Stiles, while it's his Jeep at least," Cora informed the Alpha.

"How do you know it's the Jeep?" Laura asked, tilting her head.

Cora looked down at the floor, there was a high possibility that one of the boys would accidently mention the fact that she'd visited them so she might as well own up to it now on her terms. "I went to talk with the boys the other morning, right before school. I just wanted to see them in person, and make sure they hadn't told their parents."

"I see. Well, at least you waited until they already knew about our being here, thanks to Derek. There was no harm done by your visiting. It's probably all three of them or only Stiles, I'm sure Isaac told them about last night and Stiles is bound to want more answers if he's anything like the boy I used to babysit."

Derek rolled his eyes and went down to peek out the front door, "Just prepare for a tornado when he gets here."

"We're going to tell them all about it right?" Cora asked, eyes wide.

Laura smiled at her baby sister, running her hands through her hair. "Of course, I'm still responsible for this area, and Isaac isn't my Beta, but he didn't asked to be turned and obviously his Alpha isn't to be trusted with teaching him. But they are only teenagers, still in high school, plus we still don't know how long we're staying here."

Cora pouted a little bit at the last sentence, "But we can't leave now, Isaac needs us! What is he supposed to do when we take out the Alpha? We can't let him stay an Omega when the Argents are around!"

"Cora, Cora, calm down. I understand your point, but I don't know yet so I can't make any promises okay? Let's just take this one day at a time." Laura hugged Cora for a moment before leading her downstairs to meet their visitors. Now that they were close she could pick out three heartbeats so that mean all the brothers were here, which was good so she wouldn't have to worry about any information getting forgotten when he retold it. Now she just prayed they didn't ask too many questions that she wasn't ready to answer yet.

Stiles finally moved when he saw Laura appear in the doorway, opening the door and hopping out of the Jeep. He signaled for his brothers to follow and stay close- they'd seem more intimidating if they were grouped together (in theory). "Hey Laura, long time no see," he called out, a happy smile appearing on his face.

"Hey Squirt, you've grown!" Laura returned, quickly hopping down the porch stairs and pulling the oldest into a hug.

Isaac narrowed his eyes at the contact, stepping forward and clearing his throat, "We were hoping you could offer some more answers… I told Stiles that you'd come find me but he was um, Stiles."

Derek walked out with Cora and sat down on the porch, knowing that if they walked up to stand behind Laura it would come across as more threatening. Hopefully none of the boys did anything stupid that would require him to get up. He did notice Isaac slight attitude though and was already on edge.

"Of course, where would you like to start?" the Alpha asked. She'd noticed Isaac's posture change as well but didn't address it, it was most likely just his wolf reacting to her wolf, someone that wasn't in his Pack getting too close.

"Well, can you tell me more about um… what it's like to be a Werewolf?" Isaac asked, standoffish attitude completely disappearing now.

"Well in general it means enhanced senses and a very strong understanding of Pack. Once you find your Pack equilibrium and you understand where you fit in, your Pack is like your family. For now, you have your inner wolf that is also trying to settle into an equilibrium in your own body, so there are going to be times when you don't act like yourself. He'll want to take control and fight based on instincts but you have to keep him under you. It's important that you, the human side, stays in control. If your wolf gets out of control then you start to go wild and that's what the Hunters are always on the lookout for. You're only a Beta so you can't actually turn anyone but you can obviously still kill people or serious maim them if you can't keep the wolf in check."

"Wait, hold on, I feel like this is an obvious question since I'd hope you would have told him first thing but, is there a cure at all for this?" Stiles cut in before Isaac could say anything else.

Derek stood up then and crossed his arms, "Being a Were isn't something that needs to be cured Stiles, it's a gift!"

"Gift? He didn't ask for it! I mean, sure if Isaac had stumbled upon this and wanted to become one, I wouldn't be asking about a cure. But he was attacked and turned against his will, doesn't that count for anything?!" Stiles shot back defensively.

"Isaac is able to run faster, hear better, he's stronger than any human now, why would he want to take that back?" Derek pushed, voice dangerous low as he stepped closer.

Stiles stepped around Laura, "Because, how is he supposed to be able to control this! He said that if he gets angry, or something causes his heart rate to spike, he'll end up shifting! We're 16 years old! That all our life is- raging hormones and constantly shifting emotional states! I mean hell, we play lacrosse! And on top of that he's got Hunters after him, just because he might not be able to control it? He shouldn't have to put his life on the line for some 'gift' Derek!"

Derek snarled and stepped closer, he couldn't stand to hear an ignorant kid talk about something he knew nothing about. He was constantly reminded of Kate and how she called his kind monsters; he wasn't going to let anyone else look at them that way.

Laura turned to calm her brother down but then Isaac was snarling as well and charged at Derek. His claws slashed at empty air since Derek was a much more experienced fighter, in the blink of an eye Derek punched at the brat and sent him flying. Then of course Laura was there, flashing her eyes at him, silently telling him to cool off a bit.

"No Stiles, don't!" Cora cried out, flying off the steps as soon as she saw him running towards Isaac. He was too worked up to really understand that Isaac couldn't be hurt by a simple punch, even if it knocked him back quite a few feet. Isaac wasn't in control right now and he was dangerous, especially to a human.

Stiles paid no mind, continuing to rush to his brother's side, calling out his name as he slide into a crouch beside him. Isaac was still growling and his face was definitely looking less human but Stiles didn't flinch away. "Bro, are you okay? Holy crap, he sent you flying…" Suddenly he found himself wrapped in Isaac's arms and he heard his brother snuffling loudly at his neck. Stiles rubbed Isaac's back, whispering to him, "Hey, I'm fine, Derek didn't do anything to me."

Isaac hit the ground hard and had to shake his head to clear it; he heard the sound of approaching footsteps as well and prepared for another attack. But he caught Stiles's scent and looked up, wanting to make sure that Stiles wasn't in danger. He saw that the other wolves were standing a few feet away and weren't acting aggressive. Scott had retreated to stand next to the Jeep so he was safe as well. The sound of Stiles's voice filled his head and Isaac just pulled Stiles to him, glad that the other wolves hadn't attacked. It had been stupid of him to just attack like that but the Beta was getting loud and it made his wolf bristle; he ended up attacking before he could get it under control. Gradually Isaac relaxed and felt his heart calm down as he just let himself focus on the sound of Stiles's voice and his scent. He blocked out all the other annoying heartbeats and voices until his wolf was completely contained again.

Laura took a step back when the two boys stood up and she saw that Isaac was totally human again, somehow she'd utterly underestimated the bond Isaac had with his brothers. Even in his state of rage over Derek's challenging voice and proximity he didn't lash out at Stiles; it was nothing short of a miracle that he managed to recognize Stiles and stop himself from mauling him. But not only that, he managed to entirely center his attention on Stiles and shift back; Isaac's bloodlust normally shouldn't be that easy to control.

"Isaac, you okay?" she asked, slowly stepping forward.

He nodded and pushed Stiles behind him as they walked closer to Scott. "Derek just… he was loud and I couldn't control it… Sorry Derek, that was rude of me…"

"Yea, I'm sorry too…I didn't mean to get all worked up, but I mean, that just kinda proves my point. I just got loud and then of course you got loud back and Isaac lost it," Stiles mumbled.

Derek huffed, not going to admit he was wrong in any way, instead he just explained his mindset. "I don't like it when people treat us like we're monsters. Why do you think we're in hiding anyways? The minute people find out about us they freak out, and then the Hunters formed and decided that we needed to be wiped out."

Stiles started laughing at the absurd words coming out of Derek's mouth, "Derek, dude… you really think I was asking about a cure because I think you're monsters? You think that I would just waltz up to your 'lair' and mouth off if I thought you were monsters? If we really felt like that, we'd be keeping Isaac away from you, doing our best to just ignore the problem. I mean coming to you for answers would be admitting that Isaac is one of you; and then of course, yelling at you would be a great way to get eaten. Like I said, my main concern is just that he can't control it… we're teenagers and we're emotional, that's our whole existence you know… and with Hunters out there looking for any excuse to kill him… I don't want to take that chance."

"I'm sorry Stiles but no, there isn't a cure for this. None that we've ever heard and we come from a long line of Weres, Isaac is one of us now," Laura commented, patting Stiles's shoulder.

Scott finally spoke up, staying close to Isaac's side, "Then what do we do about it. This Alpha that turned him… Isaac said that he was trying to control him, make him kill. How do we stop that?"

"I've been tracking the Alpha and I'm thinking of coordinating an attack with the Hunters, just to make sure we take it down. He's hurt countless humans and cannot be allowed to live, by our standards as well as the Hunters'. After we kill the Alpha, Isaac won't have to worry about."

"Wait, what do you mean he won't have anything to worry about? He'll be an Omega then and I read that it's dangerous for him to be a lone Werewolf," Stiles protested.

"Well, yea, he'll be an Omega, but he won't have the Alpha whispering in his head and trying to control him. If we can keep him in control until then, the Hunters won't have a reason to hurt him. We can figure something out after that okay, I promise," Laura said.

Isaac stepped forward, "Wait, Laura, you're an Alpha, can't I just join your Pack? Please? I mean, I know you don't live here anymore but Sacramento isn't that far, it will still count if I stay in Beacon Hills won't it?"

"Hey yea, I mean, we're close, you were out babysitter for years- can't you do that for him," Stiles begged. Laura had to be a better Alpha than this wild guy running around, her family was always looked up to when they were alive.

Laura bit her lip and looked at the boys, "It's not that easy to just give up your allegiance to the Were that bit you, I don't think I'd be able to step in until after the Alpha was dead. It's one thing to leave a Pack you've joined willingly, but the Bite is a serious bond. It's only trumped by birth, and that's because we feel a strong familial tie that we wouldn't want to break anyways. We'll help teach you boys how to help Isaac thought okay?"

She led the boys back to the porch and invited them to sit down. She might as well start like Mom used to, Mom was great at stuff like this but… all of them had been born, so it was going to be a little difficult. "So, I have to confess, I've never had to train a bitten wolf before, all the Weres in our family were born. But I'll explain it as best I can- in a way this might be good. You are old enough to actually understand what is going on and are more in control of yourself. Imagine being 4 years old and transforming for the first time and you just want to attack everything. Finding an Anchor can be really hard at that age, and it's bound to change as you get older so you lose control a lot.

"Anyways, so I think you're on the right path to finding your Anchor. Last night you found something pretty fast that allowed you to shift back again, despite the fact that your heart was racing due to the information overload. And just a moment ago, you were in a rage, the wolf got the upper hand and yet just a few moments with Stiles and you were fine. Stiles, by the way that was immensely stupid," Laura berated, slapping the teen upside the back of his head. She raised a hand in apology when a quiet growl came from Isaac. "See what I mean, your wolf has already bonded to both of your brothers. He realizes just how important they are to you and takes offense if they get hurt."

"But, isn't that normal? Isn't that how you were growing up?" Isaac asked. He looked between his brothers and then the siblings sitting across from them.

Cora shook her head, "Things were different for us. I have no idea if it has to do with Born versus Bitten or just family ties but for me, any time the full moon came around and I couldn't concentrate on my Anchor… the only person I'd listen to was Mom, and that was because she was the Alpha. If anyone else came near me, I'd get super defense and be ready to attack. I remember, that in the back of my mind, they smelled like Pack and that they were family, but at the same time my wolf and I weren't the best at communicating. So my wolf felt vulnerable and angry from the bloodlust so anyone that came close was a threat."

"I can even recall when Laura and I got into some real nasty fights. I don't really remember what they were about but we were both fully shifted and by the time Mom and Dad separated us, our clothes were shredded." Derek had a hint of a smile on his face as he remembered the fight.

Laura laughed a bit, "That was really ugly and both of us were grounded for a long ass time. But you know, I think part of that had to do with the fact we were both Weres. I mean I got mad at Aunt Carla a few times but I never actually fought her."

"Well yea, you would have killed her," Cora mentioned.

"I take it Aunt Carla was a human family member?" Scott asked.

Laura nodded, "Yea she was, married into the family and decided that she didn't want the Bite. It was fine though, we all still loved her and she loved us."

"You know, maybe you're right about something there- I think that since Aunt Carla didn't have an inner wolf to take offense at our anger, we didn't pick up on it and were able to stay in control. Plus Mom taught us from a very young age that we were to never harm humans, period. So our wolves were trained from a very young age to be gentle with them. But you were a Were and when we got mad at each other, our tempers and our control flared, seems more natural that we'd be willing to hurt each other," Derek mused.

Stiles frowned, "Okay, that makes sense for you guys but… Isaac didn't grow up like that…"

Laura fixed him with a hard stare, "That's why it was so dangerous for you! Isaac could have decided to tear your throat out and then we all would have been up shit creek."

"You're really lucky Stiles… please be careful in the future, just in case okay?" Cora asked.

Stiles and Scott both nodded, understanding a bit more at how Isaac's control wasn't solid just yet. Stiles asked the next question, "How come Isaac like… snuffles all the time? I've noticed that since he's been bit, any time he's feeling angry or upset he just cuddles us. We've always been close and stuff but I noticed it's a little different now."

"He finds comfort in your scent, like it's a very strong reassurance mechanism for him. As humans, you just get a hug from someone special and you can feel the relaxation right?" Laura asked. When all three boys nodded, she continued, "Well since our senses are hyped up, we have an even stronger scent recognition so, let's say you smell someone's cologne and it makes you happy. Isaac will smell your familiar scent and just feel happy and settled."

"Since he's already so close with you boys, you'll have to be extremely careful to not have anyone at school trash talk you, since Isaac gets offended just by Laura smacking Stiles," Cora added on, remembering what it was like to be in High School.

"Yea… about that… Isaac sent Andrew to the hospital during lacrosse tryouts… Hit him in the knee with his crosse and tore something, ACL or PCL- I don't remember which one…" Stiles confessed. "But hey, Isaac, at least we know that all that rage you felt, it was from your inner wolf taking offense and not because of… um… your dad."

"Yea, that makes a lot more sense, after I heard them make that nasty comment I was seeing red. But now I also know how to control it… in theory…" Isaac mumbled to himself. Sure it sounded easy to just think of calming thoughts whenever you were getting worked up but in practice… it probably wasn't that easy to just change the course of your thoughts.

"I know you boys probably don't want to hear this but until we take down the Alpha, you are going to have to lay low. That was why we told Isaac that we'll come find him, since we can't guarantee when the Argents might come looking for a meeting. Plus we can't keep your existence a secret from them but I'd rather be the one to break it to them than for them to figure it out and suspect you. I want you to spend your time focusing on control okay? After this problem is settled, we can start teaching you more on how to be a Werewolf," Laura promised. Just by talking with these boys and realizing that they had a purpose here, she was feeling more and more like coming home. Plus she knew that they couldn't run from their past forever, the Hale name deserved to be honored- Beacon Hills was their home.

"Can… can we maybe have your numbers? That way if we have questions we can text you in an emergency?" Scott asked.

"Yea that way we don't run into the Argents and spill Isaac's secrets," Stiles added on.

Laura smiled and pulled out her phone, trading numbers with them before shooing them to go home. She knew that they didn't really get to answer too many questions but she had Derek call Chris earlier since she wasn't expecting the boys to be here. Thankfully it seemed like the boys understood that they needed to get out of here, and they at least covered control a little better for Isaac. That was the best place to start; she gave each of them another hug and waved as they drove off. Her ears were focused to ensure that the boys were well on their way into town and hadn't come across Chris.

"Okay, we've got a few minutes still since I don't hear his car. I tracked the Alpha to an abandoned train yard. I didn't stay for long since I didn't hear any signs of a heartbeat and the area was large so it would have taken far too long to pinpoint his lair by smell. I'm hoping that we can check back in regularly until he's there then coordinate an attack with the Argents. Do you two approve?" Laura asked.

"I think we should just take him out ourselves," Derek stated, for the fifth time.

"Normally I'd agree with you but I know your reason for that is different from mine. I don't want any of them to get killed, or turned, they are humans and therefore more vulnerable- regardless of their training. You don't want them there because you don't trust them, which is a valid point- the only one I trust is Chris. But I trust that his men will honor his calls and not stray from the plan. But we need to show them that we can be trusted, that we will take out any threat in the area; Chris hasn't had any experience with me as an Alpha so he needs to know that we're capable. Can I trust both of you to follow my lead and work with the Hunters?" Laura requested.

Cora nodded, "I just want this guy gone, he's killed a lot of people and is giving us a bad name. Plus I don't like the fact that Isaac is kinda at his mercy right now."

"Yea, I'll follow your lead, always Laura. You're my Alpha, my Pack and my sister. I trust your judgment," Derek said, crossing his arms.

The three of them went back into the house to wait for Chris to show up, Laura was also betting that Victoria would show up as well, since she was their leader. Now she just had to worry about their daughter; Cora had told her what Isaac revealed, about Scott liking her. Did Allison know about their history? Was she already being trained, or was she just being brought up as a regular teenager? Laura bit her lip, it would be best to just ask when they got here to keep track of how many Hunters were in the area.


	10. Can We Work Together?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hales meet with Chris and Victoria to discuss the Rogue that is in town. Also, someone (Kate, cough cough) comes for a surprise visit.

The siblings didn't have long to wait before they heard an SUV turn onto the dirt trail leading to their old home. Laura just counted her blessings that the boys had gotten out of here on time. They might have passed each other on the road, but Chris had no reason to recognize Stiles's Jeep. The only reason Laura recognized it was because John would drive it around whenever he wasn't in the cruiser so it was usually her ride home before she had gotten her own license. Cora's heart beat started to pick up once she heard the crunch of the tires so Laura reached over and pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"Nothing to worry about Cora, Chris isn't like Gerard or Kate," the Alpha promised.

"But we don't know much about Victoria, and she's the one calling the shots, remember?" Cora whimpered.

"I'm sure it will be fine."

Derek couldn't help but scoff lightly, everything about the Argents was just trouble. The only thing was Chris stayed in control where other Hunters wouldn't. He stood up and leaned against the door frame, arms crossed. It was Laura's job to be the diplomat with them, but he was here to remind them that they weren't to be trifled with. He was good at sulking and brooding- it scared most people away.

Victoria had to bite her cheek as her husband pulled up to the house; Derek was standing behind his sisters, doing his best to look so aggressive. It was so easy to see through his façade, he just wanted to be there to make sure nothing else happened to his family.

"Ready?" Chris asked, putting the car in park and turning off the engine.

"Always ready," Victoria smiled.

Laura stood, waving for Cora to stay seated on the steps, as the Argents got out of their car. "Good morning, or is it more of early afternoon?"

"Early afternoon," Victoria decided, coming forward to shake the Alpha's hand. She'd only seen Laura once, back when Chris had first taken over responsibility for the town. "It's great to see you again, you've certainly grown up, as have your siblings."

"Thank you, I may have grown but you look the same as when I first met you," Laura returned.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Victoria laughed. She could certainly understand why Chris had chosen to honor the pact with the Hales, all of them were polite and diplomatic. Talia had been amazing at listening to the Hunters and coming up with compromises that everyone (except for Gerard) could live with. It was easy to see that Laura had learned a lot, even if she didn't get all of the proper training.

The group stepped closer to the house, so Laura could lean on the porch again, "So, I managed to track the Rogue down. Before I give you any information though, I need to know if we can work together on this."

"What did you have in mind?" Victoria asked, not even bothering with the charade of Chris being in charge like they usually did. The Hales knew better and she wasn't about to insult them.

"I want us to coordinate an attack- what happened last night, it can't happen again. I know that part of the misunderstanding was that we were unaware of each other's presence in town. Still if your Hunters go in guns blazing, there might be more than one Were that gets hurt."

Victoria nodded, and then not so subtly nudged her husband.

"Oh, right, um, about last night, sorry Cora. I know now that it was you we ended up chasing away from the house. Also, sorry for Damien, he decided to shot first before we could identify who we were shooting at," Chris apologized.

"Right, no harm done. Just happy to know you're here and that it won't happen again. If it were a different family of Hunters, we might have a few issues," Cora replied. She had almost mentioned that she wasn't the one that had been hurt but then Laura managed to shoot a warning to her. Sometimes, that Alpha connection really came in handy.

"Okay, so getting our attacks coordinated will keep the accidents to a minimum, what else would you like to put on the discussion table?" Victoria asked.

"We would like to dispose of the body. I'd ask that we take the kill but I know in the heat of the moment not everything goes according to plan and if one of yours gets cornered, they need to be able to adequately defend themselves. But, since he has snuck into our territory and has harmed our townspeople, we will make an example out of him."

"I can respect that, might I ask on what grounds you would like to secure the kill?"

Laura shrugged, "Same grounds as above. Plus, since he's a Rogue, he's unpredictable so the further away you, as Humans, are the better. But, guns and arrows don't have to be close range so that's clearly to your advantage."

"We need to be sure he's dead," Derek muttered. "Your bullets are effective but, who knows what he might be on- his healing might be hyped up."

Victoria narrowed her eyes, "You think he's on something?"

"Maybe…" Laura sighed, looking down at her shoes, "I've picked up on some, strengthening herbs while tracking him. It could be a coincidence since it's not always there, but better safe than sorry. We do know that he's desperate so it wouldn't surprise me. He'd take them if he found anything like it lying around."

"But what are the odds of herbs like that lying around?" Chris asked, crossing his arms as he thought of the implications.

"Deaton wouldn't have done it if that's what you're thinking. But, maybe someone should ask him, nicely, if he's aware of anyone else in town that might know a thing or two. Like I said, I can't be sure the scent is tied to him. But it is another thing to be wary of." Laura didn't want Deaton getting pulled into this. He'd made it pretty clear when they left town that he wasn't going to act as an Emissary anymore, he was tied only to the Hale family. Of course, Laura offered him a place with them, if he followed them to Sacramento but Deaton said that Beacon Hills needed someone with open eyes to stay around. He often emailed them, giving them updates but true to his word, he had been just a vet for the past 5 years.

"We actually already stopped by and saw him, when we first moved back earlier this week. Just to get his opinion on what was happening, he's always been pretty straight up. He was concerned about us Hunters being back in town though, like he knew something was up," Victoria commented, eyeing the Alpha.

Laura smiled, "He knew we were coming back into town. He actually emailed me about you being here too, but I hadn't checked it right away. Not until after our encounter, when I was about to send him a nasty message. He probably knew that it would be awkward with the two of us here. But what's done is done, we're both here now. Although, I do have to ask, how long will you be here, and how many Hunters did you bring with you?"

"10 others moved into town with us. As to how long we'll be here, that remains to be seen," Victoria answered easily.

Derek laughed, "Only ten? Back in the day you had a whole army with you. Or at least Gerard always did."

Chris spoke up, "My dad likes to take over a town, I like to just, protect the town- don't always need an army for that."

"And of course, those are just the members that moved into town with us. I'm sure you just wanted an accurate number of Hunters in town," Victoria said. "There are many others that are loyal to us, and even more that know of us and would come to our aid if we called. But we didn't feel like we'd need more than that at this time. The rest of our members are in the surrounding towns, keeping an eye on things. No further than 2 hours away."

Cora cleared her throat, unable to keep her mouth shut. "So does that make 12 Hunters in town, or 13?"

"Allison is not… aware of our family traditions. We decided, as a family, that we wanted her to at least finish high school before coming into the family job. For now, she is just an innocent girl," Victoria revealed.

The youngest Hale sagged down in relief, that meant Isaac was a bit safer. If Allison didn't know what to look for, she wouldn't notice anything weird about his behavior as he tried to control his shift.

Both Argents noticed the relief coming from the teenager but didn't quite understand why their answer received that reaction. They knew better than to question it though, so Chris turned back to Laura, "Do you think we'll need more people?"

"No, you shouldn't. I'm convinced just the three of us could take him down," Laura admitted, waving to her two siblings. "But, backup is always appreciated, and since you're in town. Plus I'm sure you'd like to see him go down with your own eyes."

"If we promise to hold back on the killing, unless completely necessary, can we start discussing the actual take down?" Victoria asked. Right now, with all the potential harm the Rogue was doing, she wanted to get him out of the way. Chris had told her about what Laura said, how he had been at the party. Allison was in danger and didn't even know it; no way was she going to have Allison's blood on her hands.

Laura smiled, "Thank you, that would mean a lot. And yes, if we all can agree that we have priority over the kill, and that we all work together as a team, I'll tell you what we figured out. Then, Victoria, I'll let you be the main coordinator; I'm… I can admit that I'm not the best when it comes to coordinating larger attacks. Especially since I don't know how you guys like to move." When both Argents nodded, Laura continued. "I tracked the Rogue down to the abandoned train station, off of Laird Street. I didn't have time to actually find his den but, I have no doubt that's where he's settled down. I came back so I wouldn't be late to our meeting and I plan to look around more later. Actually I'll probably have Derek searching the yard while I track the Rogue and make sure he stays away from the town and potential victims."

"Once you get a read on him, tail him as much as you can, the more we know about his routine the fewer surprises there will be. I want to get him taken care of as fast as possible so no one else comes across him. It was close enough last night when he was right there at the party."

"Of course, since there are three of us, and none of us are in school or expected elsewhere, I'm sure we can keep an eye on him almost 24/7. It will help of course if you have your guys doing regular patrols, keep an eye on the more populated areas. I've already noticed the pattern, like I mentioned to Chris- he prefers younger Humans. So my advice is to patrol areas where teens and young adults hang out more than the higher end places where older adults might be around."

"Understood. We'll organize a patrol schedule with the guys and send it to you, so you will be aware of where our vehicles will be. Please feel free to update us on your comings and goings as well, open communication is key here," Victoria mentioned, already pulling out her phone. "I'll send you our address as well, just in case you need to stop by for any reason. We've already updated everyone on your faces so there won't be any more cases of mistaken identity."

"Of course, I might not be able to check in regularly, if I'm in my wolf form, but Derek and Cora will always have their phones on them. They'll be able to update you on my whereabouts when I cannot. If I track the Rogue into town I'll alert everyone immediately, it might not be the plan but-"

"Better to take him out before trouble arises," Chris finished for her, grim smile on his face.

"At least we should be able to scare him away from the town, make sure he learns that we aren't going to let him just hunt for would be Betas," Cora stated.

"Come on back to the SUV, I've got a few different maps of the area, we can work on our plan of action then," Chris offered.

The next few hours passed quickly as they let Victoria tell them about what kind of strategy she'd use in the area given. Once they had a solid plan and two solid backup plans, the Argents started packing up their maps.

"Oh, one last question, before you go," Laura started, doing her best to stop herself from bouncing from foot to foot. "What… what happens if he does manage to turn someone?"

Chris and Victoria looked at each other, Victoria being the one to address the question. "Has he actually bit anyone?"

Laura shook her head, even though she hated to lie to them, she couldn't give up Isaac, not until she knew more about Victoria. "I'm just… What if I lose track of him and he bites someone? What is your policy on any Beta he creates?"

"We have our Code, which I'm not sure if you know or remember what it is," Chris started.

Laura shook her head, it had been years since Mom had first told her about the Code the Argents followed. It had helped then to know they at least had some sort of guideline that they followed but what had been more important was the pact the two families had made with each other. A Pact that was broken by Kate and her family paid the price. "I… I don't remember it. Plus I'm sure it will do Cora good to hear you explain it yourselves, versus me trying to vaguely remember it."

"Well, our family is originally from France, so our Code is 'Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent' which means, 'We hunt those who hunt us'. We made it clear to Talia that our Code meant, we only hunt down those that hunt us Humans. It of course applies to any supernatural creature that we come across. Since your family was actually in charge of protecting Beacon Hills, of course that meant you wouldn't harm any of the townspeople. That was when we came up with the pact for both families to follow," Chris explained. . "It prevented either side from stepping on each other's toes as it were."

"So, going by our Code, as long as the Beta doesn't actively harm any Human, we'll have no reason to hunt them," Victoria finished.

Laura let out a sigh of relief, "Okay, I'm glad. I was just, um worried, since he's after kids you know? I'd hate to have to hunt down a teenager just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Well, if there are any Betas at the end of this, what would you suggest we do about them? We are planning on killing the Rogue, so any Betas he might make will become Omegas. Omegas have the highest probability to become a problem," Victoria asked. She glanced at her husband quickly, making sure he was on the same page as her. Clearly there was already a Beta running around town, and Laura wanted to make sure they wouldn't needlessly kill him or her. It was a very delicate situation, especially considering they probably weren't even a legal adult.

"I… I haven't thought about that. I mean, technically we still live in Sacramento, we haven't made arrangements for being here long term… The Beta, or Omega, might not want anything to do with us," Laura said. She was sure that Isaac would follow her, he had said as much already but she didn't want the Argents to pick up on too much. At least some of her words were true.

"Would you at least take responsibility over them, enough to explain how the rules of our world work, maybe point them to a Pack that will care for them?" Victoria asked.

"Yea, we can do that at the very least. They might not want to Pack with us since we killed their Alpha but, I will make sure they find someone to Pack with. The only complication might be their family. Just… as long as you don't have to kill them, I'm satisfied." All she had to do was make sure that Scott and Stiles kept a close eye on Isaac and he was in the clear. The Argents could find out after all of this was taken care of that Isaac had been bitten; that way they'd also know she didn't just give someone the Bite frivolously to strengthen her Pack.

"Wait, I have a question too," Derek said, looking at the two Hunters. "What… If we do move back here, or even just start patrolling the area, would we come up with another pact?"

Victoria nodded quickly, "I think that would be a great idea. It's obviously been a few years, so it would be best to create a new pact. Like we said, we're not sure how long we're going to be in the area but we will be staying even after we deal with this Rogue. This is still Hale territory, so I actually agree that you should do regular patrols, just to reinforce that fact to any other supernatural beings in the area. A new pact will keep any misunderstandings to a minimum."

"Okay good, we can worry about that after all this is over," Chris decided. At least then, the new Beta in the area would also be around to hear about the pact. Plus it would give him some time to go over it with his wife, making sure they covered all the important stuff.

Derek nodded, "Thank you."

"I'm glad it's you that moved into town and not some other family… I'd hate to try and discuss such touchy subjects with someone I have no history with," Laura commented, stepping back from the SUV.

"We could easily say the same thing. The town we moved to, after the… fire. It was the on the outskirts of the Martinez Pack. Of course, we met with them and tried to set up some ground rules, like we had with your mother. They weren't as… welcoming, to say the least. They felt like we were stepping on their toes and trying to prove ourselves superior to them," Chris grumbled.

"It was a nightmare to say the least," Victoria stated. "We should go, gather up the guys while Allison is still out of the house. Tell them about the plan and everything."

"I'll get started on the tracking."

The Hale siblings went back into the house as the other two climbed into the car and went back to their house. Derek was the first to speak up, unsurprisingly.

"I don't like that they know my face."

"Well, that was kinda inevitable right Der? I mean, we can't just deal with them in the dark forest all the time. Better they know your face so they don't attack you."

"Yea, you're grumpy enough, it would be easy for them to assume you're a crazed Wolf," Cora kidded, nudging her brother.

"Ha ha, whatever. It just… I'm not comfortable with it. But yea, it was inevitable and I guess it's for the best. At least now, if I get attack by any of them, I know it will be on purpose right?"

"Right. Any signs of aggression from them will be taken as a direct assault on us and I'll take it straight to Chris and Victoria," Laura promised.

Cora rolled her eyes, "At least to Chris, we still don't know if maybe Victoria would be happy to finish us off."

The Alpha narrowed her eyes, "You heard her heart, she doesn't want to hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it. She might seem colder than Chris, but that's just because she has to be more calculating. She's the one in charge of these Hunters, if she loses control, she's the one to be held accountable. Victoria isn't the type of woman to risk that. So if anyone steps out of line, it will be on them, not the Argents. Now, Cora, you stay close to Isaac, but out of sight. I don't want any of the Hunters to know that Isaac was bit. I doubt they bought my lie but they were nice enough to stay quiet about it. Derek, you go ahead and follow me to the train yard. Once I get a fresh scent on the Alpha, I'll start tracking him to see where he likes to frequent and you can pinpoint the den."

Both Betas nodded in understanding and started towards Derek's Camaro. Cora took the front seat and Laura easily hopped into the back after she shifted. Derek packed up her clothes and set them in the trunk, just in case of an emergency. Then he drove into town, ready to hunt the Rogue down.

*Later that Night*

"Hey Bro, you up for a visit from your favorite sister?" Kate asked, driving into town.

"Kate? What… You're in Beacon Hills? Why?" Chris asked, standing up from the couch to go into the garage.

Allison turned at the name, her favorite Aunt was here? Dad didn't seem too happy though and it concerned her. But she knew he wanted to have a private conversation so she stayed put in the living room with her mom.

"Aw, that doesn't sound very welcoming Chris! Can't I come see your new house? I mean, you have way more money than before so I'm sure you're living in a nicer area than the last time right?" Kate laughed.

"This isn't about a house-warming, you never came to see our house in Chico and we lived there for 6 years. Tell me what this is really about!" Chris demanded. He'd managed to keep the Hale fire at the back of his mind, knowing that the next time he saw Kate, he'd have to ask her about it. There was no denying the evidence he had found in the remains, the information that Laura had given him. Kate had an unnatural obsession with the Hales, it had been obvious to him, Victoria too. Now that the Hales were back in Beacon Hills, Kate just comes running back to town? It was just t0o much of a coincidence for him.

Kate rolled her eyes at her brother's tone, "Calm down, Dad sent me. Says that this is your first Alpha in awhile so he wanted to make sure someone competent was in town. I mean, your guys are good but, I'm an Argent, I'm better."

"Dad sent you, over an Alpha?" Chris asked, already thinking about the implications of what Kate just revealed. He pulled out a burner phone from one of the boxes and messaged Victoria, he didn't want to alert Kate by opening the garage door again. This way Victoria could just meet him as soon as he was done on the phone.

"Like I said, he knows it's been awhile, plus it's been years since we've spoken. I'd like to catch up, with you and the rest of the family. I'll be at your house in like an hour I think."

"Okay, see you then." Chris hung up the phone and hurried into the kitchen. He smiled as he saw that Victoria already had a mug of tea warmed up for him- she was the best.

"So, what's wrong?" she asked, keeping her voice quiet. Allison knew better than to eavesdrop but they still didn't want to talk too loudly.

"Kate is coming. Like, she should be here within an hour."

Victoria paled, "What? Why is she here? This is going to ruin everything! We just got everything squared away."

"That's not the biggest problem… I mean having her here, yea, throws a huge wrench in everything. She's not exactly a team player and we don't have time for her antics. But… she's the one that is believed to be responsible for the fire," Chris reminded her. "I haven't… I promised I'd look into it and conveniently she disappeared so I didn't have to talk to her about it. I won't go back on my promise which means I'm going to have to confront her about it."

"We have to tell Laura like, as soon as possible. It won't look good if we keep this from her… But how are we going to break the news?"

Chris ran a hand through his hair, "That's not the worst part I don't think."

Victoria raised a brow, silently prompting him to continue.

"Kate said that Dad sent her here, because he knows I haven't dealt with an Alpha in awhile…"

"Wait… you… you haven't talked to him since before the hunt last night, you thought it was just a crazed Omega…"

"Exactly…"

Victoria narrowed her eyes and paced for a moment, "He has someone reporting back to him. He doesn't trust us to take care of something so simple- do you think he spoke with the seer? Heard the same warning? If it were so simple… then why isn't he here as well?"

"I don't think he spoke with her, he hates going to talk with her, that's why he sent me all the time. I think… I think it has to do with the Hales. We found out the Hales were back in town the same night- why else would he send Kate? You know he allowed her to break the agreement with them all the time." Chris was about to share more of his thoughts when his phone chirped again. He sighed and looked at the message, cursing to himself.

Attacked, Alpha is here. Near the power plant.

"She's been attacked, I have to go help her. Go ahead and message Laura, she needs to know Kate is here since it affects everything. I also need you to get started on sniffing out our rat."

"I'll get right on it."

"Thank you my love, I'll be back as soon as I can… with my sister." He sighed and made his way back to the garage.

When she heard his footsteps, Allison shot off of the couch and paused the movie, "Dad, was that Aunt Kate?"

"Yes, um, she's coming for a visit, out of the blue actually. She only called because she uh, got a flat tire and needs some backup. Otherwise it would have been a complete surprise," Chris told her, lie rolling off his tongue. He hated lying to her but it had become so easy since she was still in the dark about their family's true job. Chris pulled her into a quick hug, kissing her forehead, "Don't stay up late okay? Not sure when we'll be coming in. Aunt Kate will be around in the morning to see you off to school okay?"

"Okay, after the movie I'll go to bed?"

"That will be up to your mother, I don't know how much is left on the movie."

"Well, goodnight, just in case," Allison smiled before turning to go back to the living room.

The smile fell off of Chris's face as he climbed into his SUV and backed out of the garage. Kate here was the worst thing that could have happened right now. But at least they now knew that his father had an informer. He had no idea why he needed one though, didn't he think Chris was trustworthy?

-Meanwhile-

Laura had been chasing the Rogue to the outskirts of town when he suddenly attacked a car that was coming towards them. She snarled to herself thinking that she was going to have to step in before a gunshot rang out. The eldest Hale shrank back into the shadows and dimmed her eyes, not wanting the red glow to give her away. At the least, this was a very gung-ho civilian and at the most, a Hunter. Laura was only going to step in if the driver's life became endangered. Another gunshot rang out as she crept closer, trying to keep tabs on the Rogue when the voice she heard turned her blood to ice. What was Kate doing here? Surely Chris hadn't called her in, not after all this time- he wasn't like that! Laura quickly fled the scene, not wanting to be near the Hunter that had murdered her family. Mostly she didn't want to be recognized, not on unfair ground, she also didn't trust herself to not attack Kate if the Rogue failed. Instead she needed to contact Chris and find out just what the hell was going on. If Derek caught scent of her, they were all in trouble!

*Hale House*

Derek was pacing back and forth as he waited for Laura to come back; he was all alone in the house since Cora was still keeping an eye on the Stilinski boys. The den had been easy to find so he headed back to the house, not wanting to let his scent linger. He heard a phone chime and he jogged upstairs, expecting it to be Cora with an update. Instead he saw Laura's phone lit up in the bathroom, atop her clothes. Derek bit his lip, unsure if he should check the message for his Alpha or let it go.

"It might be the Argents…" he mumbled to himself. The Beta crossed into the bathroom and picked up the phone, seeing Victoria's name flash across the screen. "Okay, Laura won't mind if I look for her."

He swiped the screen and pulled up the message, almost crushing the phone in his hands as he registered the words.

Trouble, Kate called, said she was coming into town. Info to come later when I know more

"Kate?" he whispered, phone falling from his now numb hands… She was back, haunting him again. Probably trying to finish off the rest of them- Derek's mind raced and he fled the house as the memories all came flooding back to him.

*Power Plant*

"Fucking coward," Kate mumbled to herself as she scanned the roof of the plant. It wasn't hard to figure out the Alpha was really weak, he barely managed to break her window and make a grab at her. The shot had obviously scared him away and by the time she'd pulled over and got out of the car, he had high-tailed it. The second shot was just for good measure, letting him know that she meant business if he wanted to continue. Chris was on the way though so maybe they'd scout around the plant- this might be his den! Oh Father would just love her if she had just come into town and smoked the dumb Alpha from his den. Really, the men that Chris picked to fill his group, they were… well they left a lot to be desired. That was only one of the reasons she'd been sent back here; a sinister smile crept up on her face as she thought of Derek. She often thought about him, wondering how he shouldered the guilt- that night she set the fire, she had purposefully left her scent around the house. If only she could stick around to see the look on his face though! Realizing that she had played him, strung him along to get information on his family. Derek would have taken sole responsibility for their deaths, she just knew it. It was too bad that he wasn't the sole survivor, his damn older sister had been spared, along with another. The news had thrown a damper on her celebrations but still, the large and prestigious Hale family had been taken out, leaving three poor orphans.

The sound of an approaching vehicle pulled her out of her thoughts; quickly she holstered her gun and made sure her jacket covered it. But it was only Chris, thankfully. She'd hate to have to explain the scene to a passing LEO.

"Kate, what happened?" Chris asked as soon as he slammed the car door.

"He came out of nowhere, just jumped on the car and punched out my window, made a grab at me. No idea if he knew who I was or what but he ran as soon as I got a shot off. Let's go check out the plant, it might be his lair."

Chris crossed his arms, so the mole either hadn't been able to update their dad yet, or Gerard had been unable to pass on the information to Kate. That gave him a little more information to sort through later, since as far as Kate knew they hadn't found the den yet. "What makes you think it's here?"

His sister shrugged and flashed her usual charming smile, "He ran into the building as soon as I fired, probably to find some dark corner. It's the only reasonable explanation as to why he'd attack me. I mean it's possible he picked up that I was a Hunter but very doubtful- he was probably attacking because I got too close to his lair."

"Maybe, but we should go searching such a large place alone-" Chris started to admonish.

"Come on, we're two Argents, who's better than us? Just a quick scope, we'll find out for sure if it's his lair or not. Either he's hunkered down somewhere he thinks is safe or he ran out the back way."

He didn't want to do this, it was way too risky- the only reason he was inclined to agree was because he knew for a fact this wasn't the right place. The Rogue seemed flighty and unsure so chances were good that he would have found the first exit and booked it. Plus the longer he kept Kate away from the house, the more digging Victoria could do without fear of being caught. "Fine, one quick search, but we stay together."

"Of course Big Brother, like I don't know how dangerous it is to split up. Come on!" She unholstered her weapon once more and led the way into the plant. Chris sighed but pulled out his own firearm and followed after her, praying that the Rogue was long gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooooh things are getting interesting! Leave a comment and let me know what you think =)
> 
> just a note for anyone not aware, LEO stands for Law Enforcement/Enforcing Officer.
> 
> **Update** Just made a Twitter for myself if any of you out there want to follow me and ask questions about my stories just search for TweakerWolf =D


	11. Tell Me the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monday morning (not including school). Some serious topics are discussed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very emotional chapter, Chris asks Kate about the fire and then Derek finally tells his sisters what happened with him and Kate. Nothing too graphic is mentioned but there is an obvious power manipulation/seduction tactic that Kate used on Derek so if reading about sensitive stuff like that bothers you, you can skip the last section, labeled under *Motel* Everything before that doesn't really touch on their relationship, just when Derek is talking about it.
> 
> Also, Derek talks about Paige, in the same section, so it the Derek/Paige thing isn't something you're up to, that's another reason to skip that section.

*Monday Morning*

Allison's alarm went off extra early, giving her plenty of time with Aunt Kate before school. It had been years since they'd seen each other and she just couldn't wait to hear all about what she'd been up to. Her and Dad had the same job, selling firearms to well, anyone that passed the background checks. She bounced out of her bed and hurried down the hall to the guest room.

"Aunt Kaaaate, are you up? Can I come in, please, please?"

"Is that my favorite niece outside my door? Of course you can come in!"

She smiled and opened the door, "I'm your only niece, Uncle Gary has two sons and I'm an only child. I don't have any other cousins on Dad's side."

"Okay smartypants, you are my only niece, but you are still my favorite! How have you been?" Kate asked, coming from around the bed to hug her close. "You've grown so much! You're what, about to be 17 right?"

"Ugh, don't remind me… I hope no one at school realizes my birthday is coming up… Just another reminder that I'm a year older than I'm supposed to be…" Allison mumbled.

"That's not important, in a few years, stuff like that isn't even going to matter. I mean, it's not like your friends are going to judge you right?" Kate asked.

"So, how bad was it last night?" Allison asked, changing the subject. She knew that her aunt would never be scared of being out on a dark road alone, but still, she wanted to hear that Aunt Kate was okay.

"Oh it wasn't bad, just can't jump a dead battery by myself right? Need another car for it to work," Kate laughed, gesturing for her niece to sit down. Maybe the friend thing was a sensitive subject, it was only the first week, so she let the subject drop.

Allison paused, taking the time to sit on the bed as Kate went back to unpacking her bag. Didn't Dad mention a flat tire? Dad was supposed to have brought her the spare or something… But now she needed a jump? Was something else going on, why would her dad lie to her about something like a flat tire? "Can I help you with anything?" she asked, turning to the bag closest to her.

Kate answered, realizing that Allison was trying to change the subject. "Um, just not that bag… It's got a lot of personal stuff in it…" Kate knew that that bag had her personalized weapons and ammo. Allison knew about her 'job' and wouldn't freak out if she saw it but, Chris also really frowned about her learning such things.

"Oh, yea no problem, what about this bag?" Allison asked, shying away from the intense look her aunt was giving her.

"Oh yea, that one has my clothes, you can hand them to me and I'll hang them up, sound good?"

"Yea, that sounds good, then you can tell me all about what you've been doing since we last saw each other!"

"Oh you don't want to hear about me, I've been doing business stuff, tell me all about high school!"

"Oh, well I only just moved here but already, I was invited to a party! The kids here seem pretty nice, they didn't like… single me out or anything."

"Oh, was the party awesome?" Kate asked easily as she put her shirts in the drawer. Maybe Allison had made some friends already and was just a bit shy about mentioning them.

"Yea I um… well it was actually… This boy Scott asked me on a date. And I guess the popular girl is now my best friend… It's pretty crazy… I like it though," Allison admitted.

"Oh a date, tell me about him, come on."

Allison blushed, "Well he's real sweet, kinda quiet but I like that. Lacrosse is apparently a really big sport here so, I'm sure I'll get pulled to all the games and stuff; I'm not really sure what I'll think about it though."

"He picked you up right? Met your mom and dad?"

"Yea, and um… so did his brothers… Funny story…"

"Umm, that sounds like a big part of the night, care to explain?" Kate asked, raising a brow and sitting next to her niece. From the way Allison was acting, this Scott boy seemed nice, although Kate definitely wanted to hear more.

When Victoria checked up on them half an hour later, all the clothes had been put away, the date had been discussed, and Kate had caved, pulling out her favorite sidearm and showing her niece how to load it. Victoria frowned and crossed her arms, "Allison, breakfast is ready, hurry and get dressed so it doesn't get cold okay."

"Oh right, I'll be right there. How long are you in town for?" Allison asked before leaving.

"Oh for at least a week, I haven't decided yet. I have a big opening in my schedule so I have nowhere else to be," Kate assured her.

"Awesome! So I'll see you after school." With that she hurried to her room to get dressed.

"Hey Victoria, you're looking good," Kate mentioned, flicking the safety back on before tucking the gun into her holster.

"Cut the crap, you know Allison isn't allowed near firearms."

Kate rolled her eyes, "That is just idiotic, she's almost 17 now… why does Chris forbid it still?"

Victoria gave her sister-in-law a tight lipped smile, "You'll have to ask him. But while in this house, you follow our rules." With that she walked back downstairs to finish breakfast. Already this was turning into a fiasco, what else was Kate going to try and do while here? They'd told Kate years ago that they didn't want Allison to carry a weapon until she knew more about what the family did. Sure, she knew all about weapon safety, since having all those guns around they didn't want any accidents happening. But knowing about weapon safety and actually owning a firearm for herself were two different things. Victoria had discussed it with Chris as soon as Allison was old enough to truly understand Chris's day job- no firearms! She was allowed to train in archery but that was because her elementary school offered after school lessons and she wanted to learn so bad. The instructor said she was a natural and Allison hadn't wanted to quit, but she only shot at targets, not living things and that was different in Victoria's eyes. Maybe when the time came for her to learn under her mother, Allison would choose the bow over a gun but, that was still a few years away.

As Allison was getting ready to go, Victoria grabbed up her keys and called out a good bye to her husband. "Don't forget, I'm going to the store so text me if you want to add something to the list."

With that she led her daughter out of the house to drop her off at school, but she had another stop to make before going to the store.

*Stilinski House*

Stiles grumbled as his alarm went off, last night had been mentally exhausting, after they got back home the three boys had to tell their parents about the party. Stiles also had the matter of the cover story to come up with to explain their sudden departure. His mind had been racing with information as well so that made it that much harder. After that it was time for homework and all three of them were feeling pretty stressed so they didn't broach the subject. Instead the information was bouncing around in Stiles's head, keeping him awake most of the night. He rolled out of bed and shuffled off to Isaac's room to check on the youngest brother; he could already hear Scott in the shower so at least one of them was awake.

"Hey Isaac, you okay to go to school today?"

Isaac sat up and rubbed his eyes, "I think so, why?"

"It's just that… well I'm sure Jackson is going to be super pissy, and Andrew isn't going to be in a good mood either, they might say something…" Stiles mentioned.

"So?"

Stiles fixed his brother with a look, "So? What if you end up shifting?"

"Oh…right… the whole anger thing…" Isaac sighed, hands falling into his lap.

"Yea, the anger thing, and Scott and I only see you a few times a day…"

The blonde shrugged, "I only have Andrew in my 6th period, Bio. He doesn't sit near me either so I think it will be okay… If anything happens, or I feel like I'm losing control, I'll go to the bathroom or something. If I need you or Scott, I'll text you."

"I..yea, that sounds like the only way… Anyone else that might cause a problem?"

"Um, I don't have Jackson in any classes… The only other person that I can think that would be mean about it is Dylan, since him and Andrew are best friends…"

"Damn that's right, he's in Algebra with us… Right next to me… Well, I'm in that class so hopefully you can just focus on me if he starts anything. It should be fine though… Mrs. Duff hates talking so…"

Isaac agreed, "I think it will be okay. Andrew is a good player but he's also an asshole and as far as anyone else knows, it was a complete accident so hopefully they won't hate me too much for what happened…They were kinda cold to me on Friday but not mean so… hopefully nothing changed over the weekend."

"Well Andrew wasn't in school Friday, so no one saw him; if they all hung out over the weekend, Andrew had all kinds of time to badmouth you and get them all riled up but I mean…You're first string so they won't do anything to jeopardize 2 spots, if it were me or something I'm sure I'd end up stuffed in a locker," Stiles mumbled, half joking. As Isaac started growling Stiles realized his mistake, "Hey, I was just messing, I'm too tall to fit in the lockers. Plus I didn't do anything, except trip over my own feet. They won't be mean to me… at least not any meaner than normal… Let's go get some clothes, I'm sure Scott's almost done in the shower, okay?"

Isaac just nodded, too busy willing his heart to slow to form words. Today might be a little harder than he thought; maybe now that he realized Stiles and Scott were his Anchors… any threat to them would set him off. That first morning after he'd been Bit, he was fine, just confused by all the extra stuff his senses were picking up. It wasn't until Andrew's comment that he snapped… Friday had been mostly a blur, but like he'd told Stiles, no one had been mean to him really. But if anything were to happen, he had his Anchors to help him focus… They would have to do until he could meet up with Laura again and learn more.

*Argent House*

Chris could hear his sister upstairs in her room, rearranging stuff, she'd mentioned wanting to go out for a quick recon around the neighborhood. Hopefully he'd manage to catch her before she left the house though. In order to seem like he wasn't hovering around waiting for her, Chris went out to the garage and pulled aside some of the firearms for cleaning. Last night before going to bed, Victoria mentioned that they were going to have to talk with Laura again, she needed to know about how Kate's presence might affect the plan. So after she dropped off Allison, she was going to stop by the old house and talk with them. Hopefully they didn't think that Chris had invited her here, that would definitely hurt their chances at working together.

The minutes ticked by and Chris was listening intently for any signs that Kate was getting ready to head out. He had no doubts that the first place she'd probably go "scout out" was the Hale house. He'd managed to clean 2 guns when he felt his phone go off in his pocket, that meant that Victoria was ready; he made his way back into the house and called out to his sister.

"Hey Kate, can I see you for a minute, out in the garage. Want to have a quick chat before you head out."

"Sure, I'll be right there, I just finished reloading and checking my gear."

Before she came downstairs, Chris quickly dialed Victoria's number and slid the phone onto a low shelf of his workbench. He kept his phone brightness as dim as it would go and set it so the backlight would go out in just a few seconds so when Kate finally opened up the door and walked in, there was no light to give away his plan.

"Victoria already reminded me about the gun rule if that's what you wanted to talk about," Kate stated, only taking a half step into the garage.

He shook his head, "No, she told me about that but I figure you don't need a lecture about it, Victoria is more than capable of reminding you."

"Oh, what's up then?" Kate asked, easily taking a seat on the stool by the bench. Since it wasn't about earlier then it was probably going to take a few moments, might as well sit.

"I was just thinking about some things and well, I'm going to cut straight to the chase, I want to ask you about the fire."

Kate tilted her head and raised a brow, fire?

"The Hale fire."

"Hale fire? That was like 6 years ago, what about it?" Kate frowned, why was he looking into that now? It was ages ago. Surely he didn't know about her involvement, she'd waited until after he'd moved out of Beacon Hills to actually go forward with it.

"This has been on my mind for a long time actually, been wanting to talk to you about it but well, you made yourself scarce for awhile now. Never answered my calls, made excuses to keep your calls back really short; after awhile I just stopped trying since I wanted to avoid this. But now that you're here and I can see your face, tell me- did you have anything to do with the fire?"

Kate rolled her eyes, he was fishing. "Wasn't it ruled as an accident? I mean surely we would have heard more about it if it was actually arson right?"

"Payoff. Obviously. I saw the ruins, very clear that someone with supernatural knowledge was involved."

"Okay, that makes the fire that much more devastating but, again, why do you think I was involved?"

Chris put the gun in his hand back on the bench and crossed his arms, "I know you have a record with taking things too far. I also know you took special interest in Derek! He wasn't the first Were that you manipulated. You were way too interested in the Hales, don't think I didn't notice that you were always sneaking off to spy on them! Now tell me the truth, were you involved?"

"Calm down! Derek was what? Like 17? Come on Chris what are you trying to say? I'll admit that I've used some low-key seduction tactics before but that's just way under my age," Kate scoffed, keeping her body language aggressive like her dad taught her. If she kept Chris on edge, he wouldn't notice any signs from her; if she acted indignant about his accusations then she wouldn't let anything slip. "I did go around the property to spy on them yes, I'll admit to that as well but only because Dad told me too! Said you were too lenient with them! I bet the only reason you're looking into it is because they are back in town; have they bullied you into submission again already? The fire was an accident, look up the report if you don't believe me. What the hell does it matter anyways Chris? They are monsters, Werewolves! We're Hunters, their lives don't matter to us, it's too bad they all didn't die, that would be three fewer Weres in the world."

Chris slammed his hand down on the metal bench, "Not all of them were Weres and you know it! There were kids in that house Kate! That fire is inexcusable! You broke the Code! The Hales never did anything wrong, never!"

"No I didn't, I didn't do anything, I left Beacon Hills before you did, remember? Besides, Chris, think about what you're saying! The Hales were a huge, powerful Pack. I know I boast a lot about my skills but even I can't just sneak into a house full of Werewolves and get out undetected! If it really was arson, how did the Hales not realize what was happening and escape? Besides, just because Talia pulled the wool over your eyes doesn't mean they were innocent, Dad was always suspicious of them and maybe you should listen to your instincts. I still can't believe he left you in charge of this place." Kate shot back.

"They couldn't escape, there was Mountain Ash all around the house! As for actually sneaking up on them, don't think I haven't looked into that as well. Someone has to answer for what happened to that family Kate," Chris warned. "Dad put me in charge because I'm the oldest, and you've always had a hair trigger."

"Then ask the other Hunters that were in the area all those years ago, I'm sure we weren't the only ones that had dealings with the Hale family. Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you know best. It's not like anything interesting happened in this town anyways- isn't that why you moved? Now if you're done throwing around accusations, I have some recon to do- Heaven knows I can't trust you and your men to do a good job!" With that she stormed out of the garage and was through the front door in a matter of seconds.

Chris sighed and retrieved the phone but saw that Victoria had already hung up- probably to make sure she wasn't near the house when Kate got there. He finished cleaning the gun he was on and reassembled it before sinking onto the stool that his sister had vacated. That didn't go nearly as well as he'd hoped… It seemed more and more likely that Kate was responsible for, or at least heavily involved in, the fire all those years ago. Even though Laura had told him it was Kate, actually seeing her act so defensive about the whole thing, as well as trying to throw his own accusations back at him (a trick they'd learned from Dad), he couldn't avoid the truth. Now he just had to prove it, although he didn't want to send his sister to prison, he wasn't lying when he said someone was going to have to pay. He also couldn't ignore the fact that she knew the Hales were in town, that wasn't something they'd talked about last night. That meant Kate probably knew about where the Rogue was located as well, her informant finally updated her. He'd almost believed her when it came to Derek, her reaction seemed genuine but, he'd seen them together. It was just another thing that he'd pushed to the back of his mind at the time but he could read the signs.

It had been on a night when he was on Hale duty, meeting up with Talia and getting the rundown on where certain members of the family were. As he left the house, Derek was coming back in, a guilty flush to his cheeks and mussed hair. He was just a teenage boy though so Chris just offered him a polite smile and continued out to his car, how many times had he come home looking the same way at that age? It was when he'd made it back out to his car, he spotted Kate in another family car, backdoor open with her looking for something. He called out to her and she straightened up, smiling. When asked about what she was doing, she gave some vague answer about Dad wanting him home and since she was out she offered to pass along the news. As he'd stepped closer though, he saw the smudged lipstick in the dim light from her dome light as well as the half untucked shirt. Derek was way too young for his sister, surely she wasn't the one that Derek had just left? But why would Kate look like someone that just finished making out in the backseat as well, right in front of the Hale's driveway? What had really cinched the whole thing was later, Kate had mentioned that she'd misplaced her necklace, causing Mom to get mad. A week later when he was driving the car, he found it wedged in the crack of the seat- only one reason it would be there.

This whole situation was just screwed up and he knew it, now he just hoped that Victoria was able to fix things with Laura before the phone call went through. He didn't have time to dwell on it though, he had a meeting set up with the Sheriff, time to actually sell some weapons. Chris knew it was a show of faith mostly, it wasn't like the Beacon Hills PD needed new weapons, this was just John's way of showing that he'd checked up on his license and didn't find any problems. He'd have to wait until later to get any information from Victoria.

*Hale House*

Laura was pacing, looking at her watch for the fifth time, as she waited for Victoria to show up. Last night had been an absolute mess- she'd come home to find Cora beside herself about Derek. Apparently he'd seen the message on her phone and had taken off; luckily Cora had been close enough to hear his pained whimpers, although their pack connection also alerted her to the emotional turmoil he was feeling. He'd been a snarling mess when she finally found him, he didn't recognize her and wouldn't let her close; she spent a few minutes talking to him until her voice got through to him. By the time she'd gotten him into the house and Laura had returned, Derek was completely shut down. The Alpha was still worried about him too, he had seemed more like himself this morning but the turmoil was just under the surface, she could feel it coming off him in waves. None of them took the news of Kate being in town well but it seemed to really affect her brother and she was concerned for him. Years ago, Kate had been the one always hanging around the house and her scent was the one they found the night of the fire, surely it brought back horrible memories for him.

As soon as Victoria pulled up, Laura was off the porch and ushering her closer, Cora and Derek standing in the doorway. Victoria wasted no time on small talk, pulling out her phone to keep it ready. "I don't know much more than I did last night, other than Gerard sent Kate here and we don't know why. Someone in our midst is a rat, as you know, Chris hasn't spoken with Kate for awhile now, nothing more than a friendly call to say hi at least. But when she showed up, she already knew that we were after an Alpha, not an Omega-"

"But we told you it was an Alpha…" Cora cut in, confused and unable to stop herself.

"You did, we found out the night of the full moon, but Chris hadn't updated Gerard on this information. As far as Chris's latest report, we were looking for a Rogue, probably an Omega that had lost its mind. But when she showed up last night she knew it was an Alpha. She didn't know that we had found its lair though so her informant hadn't been able to spread that information by that time."

"So she also knows we're back in town as well, do you think she's here to finish us off? We all know Chris is capable of handling a Rogue, Alpha or not, there was no reason to send in back-up on Kate's level," Laura asked.

"I'm really not sure, but, we are going to figure it out- obviously Gerard is up to something, something he doesn't trust Chris with. I told him last night that you deserve our information as straightforward as possible and the best way to do that is to have a direct source. This way, nothing gets lost in a recap of the conversation. Chris is going to talk to her about the fire, and maybe her real reason for being in town. As far as Kate knows I dropped off Allison and went to the store, it's just the two of them in the house so she might be more apt to tell the truth. Chris is going to call so we can listen in on the conversation," Victoria offered.

After a quick glance over her shoulder, seeing that her two Betas were on board, Laura nodded, "That would be appreciated. Direct source will go a long way to getting to the bottom of this. Plus now, no one can accuse you of withholding anything."

Victoria nodded and quickly sent her husband a message, answering the call the second it came through. She muted the speaker on her end and stepped closer to the porch to set the phone on the railing. The four of them held their breath as they heard Kate come into the garage, her first few words were faint- hopefully the whole conversation wouldn't be so bad. But then she stepped closer and her voice came in nice and clear. The Argent politely kept her eyes on the phone, but she still noticed Laura put a reassuring hand on Derek's shoulder as Kate's voice came through.

At first things seemed normal enough, Kate was mostly confused about the conversation but then Chris mentioned her being interested in Derek and Victoria stepped back in surprise. Kate was about 8 years his senior and he'd been in high school at the time of the fire, why would she have any interest in him? She looked up and saw Derek go pale, both of his sisters looking at him with concern. Of course she denied that anything happened between them and Derek whimpered, launching himself over the decrepit railing and making for the forest.

"Stay!" Laura growled out, eyes red and nostril flaring.

Derek whined, unable to disobey his Alpha's orders, he sank to his knees, fangs and claws coming out as he lost control, breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He was thankful when Cora came and knelt beside him, pulling him close so he could ground himself with her scent; Derek focused everything on Cora's heartbeat, refusing to listen to any more of the phone call, to hear her voice.

Laura noticed that Derek was losing control, obviously his experience with Kate went a lot deeper than she realized, and hearing her voice on the phone was too much. She stepped around Victoria, putting herself between her Beta and the more fragile Human, just in case. She knew that the Argent would understand the situation, would trust Laura to keep Derek from hurting her. The Hunter didn't even have a gun on her, it was still in the car and Laura wasn't going to let that trust break. Laura growled to herself as she heard Kate call them all monsters, wishing that they'd died in the fire as well- to her that was all she needed in order to condemn Kate's existence.

Victoria's hand covered her mouth as she listened to Kate mouth off, she'd been doing a good job at avoiding Chris's accusations but it seemed like she finally lost her temper. She was glad that she'd thought about muting the call, surely the yelling and growling would have alerted Kate otherwise… Victoria was floored as she listened to her sister-in-law yell. That wasn't the part of the Code, the Code was there for a reason, didn't Kate care about the kids that were in that fire? Victoria'd been a Hunter her whole life and never had anyone in her family killed a child in cold blood. The only story she even knew of was when her mother had been attacked, while pregnant with Mellie, the female was only 14 but she'd just been Bitten and it was her first moon. Mom had no choice but to defend herself and the Were wouldn't stop coming. It had been a messy ordeal but in the end, the Alpha understood that the Code hadn't been broken intentionally. Still, in order to keep the peace, her family had moved from the area, knowing that it wasn't easy for a Pack to lose a member to a Hunter. The Hale children had never been a problem, since they were Born-Weres, they had much more control, and they knew for a fact that not everyone that had died that night was a Werewolf. Kate didn't show any remorse, Victoria couldn't understand how she had so little regard for another's life. Sure, there was a fundamental difference between Werewolves and Humans, and Hunters were responsible for protecting Human life but, that didn't mean every single Were was a monster that needed to be destroyed. As Kate stormed off, Victoria hung up the phone, "I'm so sorry… I… I had no idea Kate felt so… little towards your kind. We all knew she was a bit ruthless but never like this. I can't stay, you shouldn't either, she's bound to come here looking for you. We'll have to talk later about what this means for the plan…"

Cora stood up then, having heard the entire conversation even while helping Derek; she turned and looked at her sister, already shifted and eyes glowing. "Why can't we just kill her? We have more than enough information to know that she'll kill us the moment she has the chance!"

"We can't just kill her because we aren't monsters like her! If we kill her then we'll be giving Gerard the ammunition he needs to finish wiping out our family!"

Victoria frowned at those words, did she know something about Gerard or was that just the emotions talking right now? Either way she didn't have time, not if she didn't want to run into Kate. "I'll call when it's safe to talk, please, don't be here when she shows up, I have no idea what she has planned."

Just to be safe, since both Cora and Derek were shifted, Laura walked Victoria the few feet to her car. "I'm not even 100% sure what happened before the fire, obviously Derek is more tore up about this than I thought. I won't shift tonight, so I'll have my phone on me the whole day, call when you can."

The Argent nodded and climbed into her car, hurrying back the way she came, this was more than just a simple fire, and they still had the Rogue to deal with… this was starting to feel like too much all at once.

Laura didn't waste any time, calling out for her siblings to run, knowing that Victoria was right, Kate was coming here. Derek and Cora were in no state to see her right now, as it was Laura could barely keep it together, if she saw her face now, there was no telling what might happen.

*Motel*

Laura ushered her siblings inside the crappy room, it would have to do until they knew that Kate was supervised. Cora immediately growled and covered her face, the unclean room clearly not meeting her approval.

"It's just temporary Cora, this is the only place that lets you pay cash and doesn't require a name," Laura whispered.

"I know, it's just so gross in here!" Cora complained, eyeing the bed warily and choosing to remain standing.

Laura rolled her eyes and left Cora to investigate the room, Derek was her main concern right now (since Cora was back under control).

"Der, we have to talk about what happened-" Immediately Derek started shaking his head, he didn't want to talk about it, not ever. Laura sighed, she needed to know exactly what had happened between him and Kate. "I'm your sister and your Alpha, I love you, you know that right?"

"Yea…"

"Nothing is going to change that, I just need to know what's causing you to be so upset, can you tell me?"

"I can't," Derek mumbled, sinking to the floor and dropping his eyes to his lap. He was the reason everyone had died… he let Kate take advantage of him and he confessed his family's secrets- to a Hunter!

"Derek, you look really upset, what are you thinking about? Talk to me, please."

He looked up as Laura's soft voice interrupted his thoughts; he knew he couldn't tell her the truth… she'd kick him out of the Pack, disown him, and he'd have nothing left.

"I know she's the monster who killed our family, and hearing her voice again wasn't easy for any of us, but clearly there is something more going on here. What exactly was Chris referencing when he said she took a special interest in you? What did she do to you Der?"

"I thought she was different!" he suddenly blurted out. "After Paige I… I couldn't…"

Laura slid down next to her brother, arm going around his shoulders to comfort him, "I know losing Paige was hard… Mom had to help you find a new Anchor and that's never easy…"

"Why was Paige in that rundown house anyways... She shouldn't have been there!" Cora commented under her breath. She'd been floored when Derek came home, crying, mumbling about Paige being dead; Mom had said something about a bad fall in the old shack. But at least it had been quick, a broken neck.

"She was there because of me!" Derek confessed finally, unable to hide the truth from his youngest sister any longer.

Cora wrinkled her nose, "Really, you met up there for a date, geez Der way to-"

"It wasn't like that Cora… the truth… the truth is a lot more complicated. We kept it from you since you were only 12 at the time."

"Kept what from me?" she asked, looking between her two siblings.

Derek let out a shaky breath, looking up slowly, blue eyes connecting with Cora's unshifted brown ones. "I killed Paige… that's why my eyes are blue…"

"No, it was an accident, she fell through the floor and got hurt, it wasn't your fault. You got your blue eyes when we killed that faery in the woods, the one we thought was behind all the dead flora."

Laura shook her head, "No, Derek killed Paige, out of mercy… but still, she was an innocent and his soul broke."

"But you loved her, she was your Anchor, why did you…?"

Derek looked down again, ashamed, "I… I –sigh- it was Uncle Peter… He convinced me that… That if Paige found out what I was, she'd run away from me. I had been planning on telling her, I asked Mom and everything… She said if I was sure, and I was! But then… Uncle Peter he kept saying all this stuff and it got me worried. So instead, he said that if I turned her, and she became a part of our Pack, it would be perfect. Conveniently it was the same weekend that Ennis was in town, and he asked for me, if he would Bite her-"

"Without her knowing? But that goes against… everything!" Cora cut in, suddenly very worried that the Argents had no idea about the truth behind Derek's eyes. If they ever found out…

"It was all a stupid mistake, I was only 16, I didn't know any better, I just wanted her to stay! Ennis was happy to do it, I have no idea what Peter said to him to get him to agree but it doesn't matter. Paige was supposed to meet me in school that night, I had a change of heart but by the time I got there to warn her, it was too late… S-s-she… her b-body rejected the Bite, she was dying and in pain… She begged me… I tried to take the pain away but there was just too much… I didn't know what else to do! So I hugged her, softly at first and then just squeezed… her neck broke… I killed her…"

Laura held him close as she felt the waves of anguish wash over him, suddenly he was 16 again and terrified. She remembered Mom calling her into her room when she brought Derek home, telling her the truth and swearing her to secrecy. The only reason she was privy to the truth was because she was the Alpha-In-Training and Mom would keep no secrets from her. Derek was told to keep his shifted eyes a secret for as long as possible, until she could come up with a lie to tell the others. But they were the only three left now so they might as well tell Cora the truth after all these years.

"Oh Derek… I thought…" Cora walked over and pulled her brother into a hug, truly understanding now why Derek had fallen into such a dark place after Paige's death… She'd never had someone she was close to like that, she only stayed close to her family, and she could never imagine killing anyone that had lived with her. Paige must have been in extreme pain if she was begging for death, knowing what it would do to Derek. "I'm sorry for all those times I said something mean about your blue eyes, I had no idea!"

"I know, you thought it was over some faery creature, a simple mistake. It hurt to hear you say that stuff but I knew, deep down, that you didn't realize the truth. But you know now so, I mean, that's fine."

"But… what does this have to do with Kate?" Cora asked in a whisper, afraid to dredge up even more horrible memories.

"She… I don't want to talk about Kate! I just, never want to see her…" Derek stood up suddenly and pushed past his sisters, heading into the bathroom and shutting himself in.

Laura huffed, tired of playing nice- they needed to know what had happened since it was obviously going to affect everything. She stood up and knocked on the door, "Derek, I'm not going to make you face us, but you will have to tell us what's going on. What happened between you and her? This affects everyone."

"No it doesn't, it's in the past, it doesn't affect anyone but me!" Derek countered, growling just slightly.

"Dammit Derek, you know I won't order you to tell me, I'm your sister! But you have to tell us what's going on, clearly you can't focus with her here! Do you want the Rogue to Bite someone else?"

"She'll probably have it locked up by tonight! She's a very capable Hunter," he spat out, hands tangling in his hair as he sank down to his knees. Everything would have been just fine if she hadn't heard they were back in town! His breath started coming in short gasps as he flashed back to when he first met her and how she wormed her way into his life.

"Derek, please, tell us, you're hurting and we can't help you if you shut us out. Keeping something like this in will only hurt you more," Laura called out softly.

"The Argents had been in town for what… 6 months before Paige…. Died… I didn't pay much attention to them, listened to what Mom always told me: respect them and don't give them a reason to hurt me…" Derek started, mumbling, unsure if he really wanted to continue. But he remembered how Mom had held him close in the weeks after Paige's death, how she'd always tell him to just let his feelings out. He'd just talk and talk, words tumbling out of his mouth, probably not even making much sense; she'd listen to him and hold him. Laura was right, he needed to let this out, it had been a dark wound in his chest for years, poisoning him, but it was time to tear the old wound open so it could heal properly. Hopefully his sisters will still love him after.

His sisters both sat on the ground, right outside the door, barely breathing so as to not distract their brother. Laura reached over and took Cora's hand in her own, afraid of what Derek might finally reveal. No matter what though, they'd be here for him, pick up all the pieces and help put him back together, they wouldn't let Kate hurt him again.

"I had just gone for a run and was kinda wandering through the woods, not ready to go back home yet, when I heard someone. They weren't trying to be quiet or anything, but I wasn't really expecting to hear someone that far off the trails, so I made my way towards them. It was Her… I didn't know at first who she was, I wasn't focused on her scent and I had never seen her at the house. She was… she was only wearing some running shorts and a sports bra… She didn't even shy away from me, like high schools girls always would have, just smiled and asked how often I ran. I said every day, since I needed to stay in shape for basketball. She just lit up when I mentioned basketball, asking what position I played, how many years I'd been playing for. I hadn't even noticed that she was steering me back to the road at this point, we were just walking and talking. When we finally got back to the road, I noticed her car, one of the usual SUVs the Argents used- that was when I finally paused. But it didn't bother her, she just smiled, finally told me her name and asked if maybe tomorrow I'd run with her, show her some of the better trails."

Laura listened carefully, easily picturing a young Derek getting taken in by Kate at that age. It probably wasn't hard for her to figure out Derek's schedule, especially since Paige, he spent a lot of time by himself; Kate had always been lurking around the property, Laura had noticed it right away. It just went to show how preoccupied Derek was that he never picked up on her scent before. Next to her, Cora had started to tremble- Derek's recollections were so sharp, even if this had happened 6 years ago… Those memories must have been on his mind a lot over the years for them to still be so sharp in his mind…

Derek sniffled, breath catching for a second as he lost himself in describing his memories for his sisters. "After that we'd go running almost every afternoon, I didn't… I realize now what she did but… She always told me how I was so mature and strong for my age. That lots of the other Weres my age wouldn't be able to keep up with me; always dropping hints on how she forgot I was just a high schooler… It made me want to see her more, someone that wasn't treating me like a kid… Someone who didn't know about Paige… After about a month… she met me in town, saying we should catch a movie, but of course, we couldn't go together, we'd have to meet there. She led me up to the top row, waited for the room to go dark… I wasn't used to… to someone else making the first move… Here I was, so nervous about kissing her, if she'd let me… when suddenly her hands are all over me and she's whispering in my ear… After that, it was so easy for her… The f-first time I had been nervous and she went slow but soon, she was demanding, keeping me on edge and needy… She started complaining that I was just a kid, inexperienced, so I promised I'd get better, be whatever she needed. That was when she started asking about the rest of the family. In the back of my head… I knew she was an Argent, a Hunter. Hell the only reason I had agreed to go on the runs was because I thought I'd be the one keeping an eye on her. I was so stupid…

"Of course I hadn't wanted to give up any important information, just the stuff that I knew she'd already know because of Gerard. But she'd complain about me not trusting her, and that clearly I must only be after the sex. She got mad, saying that she wasn't just some booty call for a kid. She wanted to know that she meant something to me! And I fell for it… I told her a lot… even showed her basement and the tunnels under the house that we used if anyone was having a hard time with their control. I was always very careful about not having her touch anything, and only when I knew the older, more skilled family members, weren't going to be home for a few hours. Mom never asked me about it so I always assumed I had gotten away with it… Mom will never know how big of a disappointment I am…"

As Cora startled to cry, Laura held her close, both of them starting to realize just what Derek was trying to tell them. He'd let Kate into their house, gave her information on them, he let the Hunter get close. She felt herself go cold as Derek started crying openly in the bathroom, some of his words barely coherent.

"I'm t-the reason everyone died, me! She used all that information I gave her to kill everyone! She knew there was going to be a meeting that night, I told her the week before… She'd already moved out of town by then but promised she'd come back all the time and see me. And she did, every few days, I craved her attention and she knew it. When I told her that I couldn't meet her that night in advance she wanted to know why, so I told her, it was a Pack meeting night. I told her I was sorry and asked if there was any way she could come the day before? But she was adamant that it was the only day she'd be able to see me and surely Mom would understand if I asked to be excused… She pressed and pressed and I gave in. As you know Mom said okay. I have no idea why Kate didn't want me in the house… why didn't she want to kill me too? I don't know how she got in without Mom knowing but… I have no doubt she used all the information I gave her to ensure that no one would get out alive…I killed them all, I killed our family!" Unable to say anymore, Derek curled up on the floor of the bathroom, clawed digging into the meat of his arms as he hugged himself. His eyes were shut tight as all the screams echoed in his head from that night. He didn't even hear the door crack open, barely even registered someone else's arms around him until he heard Laura's voice.

"You didn't kill them Derek, you were an emotional wreck, you were just a teenage boy! She manipulated you; she knew how to get answers out of you! Trust me Derek, if she couldn't get answers out of you via seduction, she would have just turned to torture. She's the one that killed everyone, not you, you understand me? This changes nothing, if anything I only hate her more now! She used you, broke you, just to kill us, she's the monster here, not us- not you!"

"But everyone only died because I told her our secrets!" Derek sobbed out, pushing away from his sister. He didn't deserve her comfort right now, not ever. She should kick him out of the Pack, kill him, not be hugging him.

Laura wiped away the tears, free hand reaching out to her brother, "Derek… you… you weren't the first one… Remember, Mom had me follow you that night? It was because she was concerned about you. How many times did you come home smelling like jasmine from the garden? We all knew to use it to mask the scent of, well… sex. Mom didn't judge, she knew that we all deserved privacy, and the jasmine would make it so the rest of the family wouldn't pinpoint the other person's scent. She didn't know it was K- Her… but she could see the signs of you being used… you were sullen and moody, in a different way than before… She was concerned and she had me follow you. But that wasn't the only reason… Since I was the Alpha-In-Training, we didn't keep secrets. It was actually right after that night they barged in on me when I was baby-sitting. She tried that same tactic with Uncle Peter. I think she picked up on the… manipulative nature of his and tried to get him to turn his back on us, but Peter was too smart for that. He wanted the Alpha power, but he wasn't going to turn us in to the Hunters for that, he wasn't that desperate. He strung her along for awhile, coming up with his own plans to use and manipulate her but she wised up to it and cut off communication. That was when he went to Mom about it, let her know that he had been approached. We should have figured it out sooner, that She was the one you were being manipulated by. But we didn't think she'd go after someone in high school! We had no reason to think she'd be that disgusting and ruthless, we were looking into Aunt Bella first, since she was openly gay, maybe She would try her next. But we were looking in the wrong place. We let you down Derek… we should have known! I'm sorry… If we had caught on sooner…"

Derek looked up in surprise, Uncle Peter had been approached too? Mom was trying to put a stop to Kate?

"Even after the fire, when we caught her scent… I only wanted to hurt her, never you Derek. You didn't know what she was planning!"

"You knew that Kate had used me, and didn't hate me?" Derek asked in disbelief.

Laura shook her head, "I had no idea she'd… she'd done all of that… But after the fire, and her scent was there, it made sense. Mom had been concerned, wanted to know who you kept going to meet… I thought maybe it was one of the younger Hunters that was passing on the information to her or something, but I knew it was Kate that had gotten to you yes. That she was the reason behind your change in mood and everything else. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you Derek, so sorry. But I would never, ever, hold that against you; you're the only brother I have left- I'm not letting go of you."

He rushed forward and hugged his sister, not caring that he was 22 years old, right now, he felt like he was 16 again, scared and lonely. He cried as her strong arms wrapped around him, whispering reassuring words in his ear as they rocked back and forth on the floor. Cora came up and wrapped herself around his back, crying with him as she found out the truth of what had happened. She always knew that Kate was a monster but now knowing just what lengths she would go to… Cora wanted to tear her apart! Derek was in shambles over what happened to him, from what Kate had done! And now she was back in town to finish the job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, the next chapter will be school and maybe practice and will be a lot lighter =D  
> Also the biggest shoutout in the world to my editor Sharon, she edits quite a few of my works!!! Without her my stories would be so full of errors!!! Lol. Some of the chapters that do have errors are usually ones I didn't run by her first cuz I was in such a hurry lmao


	12. Start of the Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brothers make it through Monday, barely. It can't be that hard for Isaac to learn control right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, Jackson is kinda a dick during his scene with Danny, and also there is mention of a panic attack and Jackson's real parents. I'm going off what the wiki says (or what was implied by the show), how his mom was pregnant with him at the time of the crash. Younger Jackson didn't take the news well. It's not an in depth flash back or anything but if anything in that scene might bother you, feel free to skip the *Fourth Period Biology* section and jump to *Fifth Period Algebra 2(B)*

*School*

Isaac took a deep breath as he climbed out of the Jeep, not really ready for the day. Stiles seemed to believe in him but still, only two classes with him, his Anchor… And if anyone said anything mean to Stiles or Scott, who knows what's going to happen.

"Hey, no worries, we got your back. Just stay calm," Scott said, smiling at his brother.

"Easy for you to say, you don't have a rage monster inside you," Isaac mumbled.

Stiles frowned, "It isn't a rage monster, Laura and Cora seem to have theirs well under control. Derek, I'm not so sure about him."

"They bonded with theirs though I mean. Theirs isn't uncontrolled like mine- if someone does or says anything that sets me off…" Isaac trailed off, afraid of bringing up Andrew again.

"Like you said, you don't really see him during the day so let's just take it one class at a time. Plus, we'll both have our phones on us, if you need to, text us and we can meet you in the bathroom or something," Stiles reminded him.

Isaac nodded, "Right, solid game plan, One class at a time." With that, he took a deep breath and walked into the building. Maybe he should have also brought some ear plugs… Now that he knew for sure he really was hearing things much better than before, it would be nice to learn how to dampen that.

"Oh, almost forgot, here, try these out," Stiles called out, handing Isaac two globs of stuff. "It's the ear plug stuff, for swimming, I noticed you wincing," he explained, gesturing to his ears.

"You really are the best, no offense Scott," Isaac smiled. "How did you even think of this?" he asked as he jammed the silicone into his ears.

Stiles shrugged, "I noticed how Laura kept tilted her head when we were over there, like she was listening for something. Then she mentioned meeting up with the Argents so I realized just how good her hearing must have been. Which of course reminded me about how you were complaining about the loudness during lunch the other day, plus the squeaky chair and stuff. Dug those out of the bathroom cabinet for you, if they drown out too much sound we'll find you something else."

Isaac looked around the hallway, loving that all the locker slamming was muted now, Stiles was very inventive! He might have to take them out during class but, for in between classes it was just right. He pulled both his brothers into a hug before pulling them both to English.

*First Period English 2*

Scott brightened as they walked into class and Allison was already there in her seat; he pulled away from his brothers to hurry to his seat. "Hey, I had a lot of fun at the party. I knew you were with Lydia so I tried not to text you too much or anything," he said all in a rush. After all it was only their first date and he didn't get to stay that long so he really wasn't sure if she'd even want to text him.

"I had fun too, although maybe for date two we can do something a little more, just us?" Allison asked.

"Date 2? You… We get a date 2?" Scott asked, huge smile on his face.

Allison looked down at her desk, hand brushing through her hair, "Yea, like I said, I had fun. I'd like to get to know you better- I meant it when I suggested it at the party."

"Okay, um, I'll have to check my work schedule and lacrosse but maybe later this week? I know you mentioned it but, I don't know you might have changed your mind or something," Scott mumbled, obviously in disbelief that she still wanted to get to know him.

"Yea, that sounds good. Just don't take too long," she laughed. Allison could tell that he was a sweetheart- despite all the other girls saying that was Adam's role. Scott was a nice guy, he didn't act all conceited or entitled, something that she'd gotten really tired of at her last school. "Oh, and like I promised, here's your pencil back- thanks again for letting me borrow it."

"Of course, I always carry extras; if you need another one in the future you can always ask me."

Allison nodded and then turned to Isaac, "Hey, how are you feeling? Scott said you were feeling better Sunday morning."

"Huh? Oh yea, it was a bit of a rough night but it was out of my system by the time I got up on Sunday," Isaac told her. It technically wasn't a lie… she just didn't know he was talking about something besides bad food.

"Well I'm glad you got home… good thing your friend was there to take you. No offense or anything but it was nice to spend a little more time with Scott before he left to check on you," she told him.

Isaac laughed quietly, "No worries, I understand." As their teacher stood up and started taking roll, Isaac looked at Allison carefully; they'd been in such a hurry yesterday that they didn't get the chance to talk about the Argents with Laura. Was Allison a threat? Scott of course would be ready to argue that she was completely safe but Isaac couldn't be sure. It was his life on the line and if Allison were to find out and tell her parents… there was no telling what might happen. Maybe he'd try to text Laura later, see if she knew more about the Argents and their hunting policy. For now though he had to pay attention- Miss Thompson was a nice teacher but she also wasn't afraid to call out students for spacing out during class.

*Second Period World History*

Isaac waved to his brothers as he got to the stairs, the usual promise to see them at lunch. As he took a few steps, he heard his name get called out, arms easily wrapping around him. His fingertips started to tingle as he thought for a split second he was getting attacked but then he registered Erica's voice, her scent taking root in his mind.

"How was the party Mr. Popular?" she asked in a teasing tone. She and Boyd were coming from the first floor and she'd spotted him as they cleared the second floor landing.

"It was fun, I didn't stay long though, I got sick," Isaac told her, sticking with the story, in case anyone from the party happened to be listening. He should have known they'd ask about the party; both of them had been excited when they'd all been messaging each other on facebook. Thankfully they promised not to bother him about details over the weekend- they saved that for today.

"Sick? Everything okay?" she asked, sliding off his back to get a better look at him.

He nodded and continued up the stairs, "Yea, just ate some bad food before the party. I was totally fine by Sunday."

"Was Scott mad you cut his date short?" Boyd asked, coming up on Isaac's other side.

"Actually I had a friend take me home, so Scott and Stiles got to stay awhile longer. Things went well enough though, Allison said she wants Scott to take her on another date," Isaac told them.

"Oh, go Scott," Boyd laughed. "Glad you're feeling better though."

"Lydia didn't make a big deal about it right?" Erica asked, worried that Stiles might have gotten yelled out by her asshole boyfriend or something.

"No, she was a gracious host, just told me to make sure they don't cause trouble. We didn't see too much of her." As they sat down in class, Isaac remembered that Ran had gone as well. He tapped her on her shoulder so she'd turn around; he waved and used her name sign to say hello.

Ran smiled at him, waving and Signing his name quickly, the letters flowing together. She frowned then, scribbling something down and passing him the paper.

Are you feeling better?

"Yea, it totally ruined my night but, after a few hours I was better. Did you have fun?" Isaac asked. As he finished his question, he lifted one hand to his nose (two fingers out) and then touched them to his other hand (also with two fingers extended). During his free time on Sunday, as a way to try and distract himself from the Werewolf thing, he'd looked up Signs for basic words.

Ran held her fist out and made the knocking motion for yes, she'd actually had a lot of fun. She probably wouldn't have stayed so long if Stiles hadn't shown up but because she decided to stay, she had fun dancing with Allison and then later Lydia too.

"Looks like Isaac figured out how to make friends with Ran," Erica laughed, turning to Boyd. Makes sense why she never spoke to anyone, even when Isaac had tried so hard to be friendly.

"Oh, sorry. Umm Ran here was actually at the party, Lydia invited her. Stiles also told me about Ran since apparently they are friends and I had no idea."

Both his friends nodded in understanding, wondering what had changed all of a sudden for the two of them to be talking. Erica smiled all of a sudden, "Is that why I always saw Stiles walking around moving his hands, was he practicing?"

Isaac nodded, "Yea, he met Ran last year in Astronomy and learned ASL to talk with her. Now I'm learning, or trying to."

Ran nudged him to get his attention, pointing to the paper again.

Just takes practice

"Yea, lots of practice, like any other language. Hell I'm still trying to get my name right, I do it so slow…" Isaac complained, Signing his name slowly.

"Dude we can totally practice too, I mean the more the merrier right?" Boyd asked, looking at Ran, unsure how she felt about them.

Ran brightened and Signed yes again, also nodding her head so they got her meaning. She'd love to have more students to talk to; it was enough that her teachers understood and respected her wishes to stay quiet, didn't force her to talk. But knowing that some other students were willing to learn to talk with her instead of shunning her for being weird, it made her so happy. She turned back to the front and shuffled her notes around, not wanting the others to see how ridiculously happy such a simple proposal made her. As the rest of the class quieted down, getting ready for Mr. Westover to start, she heard Erica tell Boyd that they should head to the library at lunch.

*Second Period Biology*

Lydia was sitting at her desk, painted nails drumming the desk as she waited; when the two Stilinski boys finally walked in, she gave them a small smile. Stiles returned it readily, not even tripping over his feet as he made his way to his seat a bit behind her. Lydia turned in her seat, glad that the girl behind her wasn't sitting down yet. "So, maybe it wasn't completely awful having you at the party the other night. You didn't break anything or start any fights- Danny totally vouched for you." She gave them a look though, "Don't think it makes you cool or anything, just that maybe… if Isaac wants to bring you to the next party he can." With that she turned back around and faced the board.

Stiles dropped his pencil, and his jaw, as she turned back- she was okay with them? She'd acknowledged his presence and was maybe interested in letting him come back to her house? Obviously of course it was only in the event of a party, but the ban had been lifted? Quickly he spun around to squeal unintelligibly to his brother, hands flying through the air.

"Dude, calm down, I don't know Sign Language, you have to use your voice," Scott whispered, mimicking Stiles rapid hand motions with a confused face.

"Lydia is totally cool with us being at her next party!" Stiles whispered.

"She said maybe, depending on if Isaac went…" Scott said.

Stiles waved his brother off, "That's totally her way of saying that Isaac can invite both of us now instead of just one. You heard her, we can't think we're cool or anything, just that we aren't on the absolutely ignore list now. So we aren't going to be sitting at her table for lunch or anything but like, we've got an in now!"

"Okay, okay awesome, we can go to her parties now, cool stuff, now turn around before Mr. Hill yells at you," Scott mentioned.

"Dude, this totally means that you basically have her blessing to ask Allison out again, you know that too right?" Stiles pointed out, seeing that Scott didn't understand just how big of a deal this was.

Scott dropped his pencil at that news, holy crap Stiles was right! If they were on Lydia's acceptable list (but probably still on her "don't talk to me" list) that meant she wouldn't try to talk Allison out of dating him. That had been on his mind as he thought about what the two of them might have talked about after the party- surely she'd try to set Allison up with one of the more popular guys… Allison was obviously willing to give him a chance to that meant Lydia hadn't been too stubborn about it. Maybe this was why! Now both of them were too busy daydreaming to pay attention in class, they'd have to get Isaac's notes at the end of the day.

*Third Period History*

"So, since we were pretty tired after the party, and your dad came and got you early, tell me, what's with Scott?" Lydia asked as soon as Allison sat down.

"You've been dying to ask me that haven't you?" she laughed.

"Of course, we're best friends, you're supposed to tell me all about it! Although I am surprised you decided on Scott, given everything the girls said about him during tryouts and stuff."

"I have him in a few of my classes, he's really sweet, and funny. I don't care about popular, a lot of popular guys can be jerks. He deserved a chance, despite what anyone might have said- if he was a loser that was something I wanted to decide for myself."

Lydia nodded, "That's fair. I agree, other than his standing as a benchwarmer, there isn't anything about him that screams 'loser,' he keeps to himself though. It's just part of the game in high school, want to get to know the right people, be in the right circles. But if you really like him, I won't talk trash on him. I already told him that next time I have a party, they might be invited."

"You know, if you were actively seen with them, people would think they were cooler," Allison suggested. It wasn't that she cared, and she doubted the boys dreamed about being in the cool circle, but if Lydia was really worried about Allison's reputation, she could just extend her popularity to include them.

"That is a very good point… we'll see how things go after your second date. He still has time to mess up and make you not like him. If things continue to go well then maybe they can sit with us or something."

Allison smiled, "Yea, that would be cool of you." If things went well and Scott actually became her boyfriend, it would be nice to know that Lydia was supportive. The redhead had already proven to be a really awesome friend, she'd hate to make things weird if she got on Lydia's bad side so early. Plus it was sure to make Scott feel awful if he knew her best friend didn't approve. Now all she had to do was wait for Scott to ask her out for date number 2.

*Fourth Period Biology*

As Danny walked into class, having excused himself from lunch early to grab his books, he knew Jackson was still in a grumpy mood. He'd been full of complaints at lunch, the other players only too happy to listen.

"Dude, you knew they were planning on crashing the party and you didn't say anything?" Jackson complained as his friend sat down.

"I told you, they didn't crash anything. They didn't even stay that long- you wouldn't have even known they had been there if Lydia hadn't mentioned it."

"Yea, about that, why the hell did Allison bring Scott? Surely the girls mentioned he was a loser. She shouldn't be hanging out with dudes like him, he's bad for her image."

Danny sighed, "I don't think Allison cares? Scott isn't that bad of a person Jackson you know that. You've been in classes with him since like 5th grade. He just isn't that great at lacrosse and doesn't have tons of friends. There isn't anything about him that makes him bad for Allison."

"You're too nice Danny. No one in this school will respect her if she's seen with him and you know it. She'll end up fading into the background, Scott would drag her down. She's way too awesome for that," Jackson said. "Besides, you know how they work, and Stiles is a trouble maker through and through. He'll end up dragging her into detention or something and get her in trouble with her parents. You'd think that having the sheriff for a dad would make them more responsible."

"You know it just makes you more sneaky. It's like having a priest for a dad, you either go with the flow or you rebel, hard. Stiles doesn't know how to stay out of things and, well he gets into trouble."

Jackson scowled, "He doesn't know when to shut up, and he keeps chasing after Lydia."

"He has a crush and he's not the only one that does- isn't that why Tyler isn't allowed at our lunch table now?" Danny chuckled. After all, he was always hitting on Lydia, thinking that Jackson wouldn't find out. "Stiles just tries to say hi to her, wants to know that she acknowledges his existence, other than that he's harmless."

"He isn't harmless, once she acknowledges his existence then he starts to think he has a chance! Really, he should go be with the seizure chick, they'd be good together, they both have those stupid episodes."

Danny frowned at his friend, "Dude, she can't help it, she has epilepsy, and Stiles hasn't had a panic attack in forever. You can't treat him like that, not when you don't have a perfect record either."

"You said you wouldn't bring that up!" Jackson whispered, eyes narrowed as he looked around.

"I'm just saying, you of all people should be more sympathetic to what Stiles went through. And you have no reason to be mean to Erica either- I know you don't care about her because she isn't popular but don't treat her like trash over a health issue."

"Alright, I'm sorry… honestly it was aimed more at the spaz than at her anyways," Jackson mumbled. He doodled on the side of his notes as the teacher droned on about whatever… Danny was really the only person that knew, he hadn't even told Lydia about it- no way was he going to look weak to her, she deserved better than that. He still remembered how the attack felt, the wave of dizziness that came as he lost his breath, the racing heart… Jackson knew for a long time that he'd been adopted, his parents never kept that from him, it had just taken him a few years to really understand what it meant. He was around 13 when he decided that he wanted to go meet his birth mom, and maybe dad too if he was around. After a few weeks of planning, he'd worked up the courage to ask his parents, telling them about all the questions he'd been writing down. Really, Jackson just wanted to know about his family, his real family, what they might be like- were they a lot like him? Did he get his eyes from his mom or his dad? It had been completely shocking to see his mother look away with tears in her eyes as he proposed his idea.

They'd obviously kept this part from him because they didn't know how to tell him but now that he was asking, they couldn't keep it a secret. His father brought him into his office and pulled out a scrapbook. He let Jackson read the newspaper article, about how his parents had been in a horrible car accident- the day before his birthday. It hadn't made any sense, how could his parents die before he was even born? Jackson's head started pounding then, as his dad tried to explain how the doctors had managed to save him but not his mother. He'd never get to know them? Never get to ask his questions… shouldn't he have died with them? Even now, Jackson isn't sure why he had a panic attack, but the thought of being pulled from his mother's almost dead body was too much to hear. He only had that one attack but in the days afterward he often wondered why he was alive, would his parents be proud of him? What might have happened if they didn't die? Danny was the one that pulled him out of it though, saying that it wasn't helping to wonder about the 'what-ifs' since it was only making him worse. He asked if maybe they should visit their graves and Jackson had leapt at the chance. After seeing their headstones, it had calmed him down and Jackson was able to pull himself out of his crisis. Now he tried to not think about it, he visited them every now and then but didn't dwell on the what-ifs. Maybe he shouldn't be so hard on Stiles, he'd been through a lot as a kid, losing his mom and then that whole ordeal with Mr. Lahey… Considering all of that, maybe Stiles should get more credit for being fairly normal.

*Fifth Period Algebra 2(B)*

Stiles groaned as he finally dropped his pencil, his hand had been starting to cramp from trying to write everything down before class was over. Mrs. Duff liked to cram in a lot of information, which was good since that meant they were well prepared for the homework but bad because hand cramps. But he got all the information so he'd be more than able to understand the homework tonight. He packed up his things and made his way to the door, Isaac right beside him, ready for just one last class. Suddenly they were both shoved roughly to the side, Dylan pushing between them.

"Get out of my way Lahey, you're on my list- you and your trash brothers," Dylan spat out, using Isaac's old name as a way to get his point across.

Stiles narrowed his eyes, surprised at the hostility, on Friday Dylan hadn't said two words to them. Now he was threatening them? Isaac pushed forward, teeth looking sharp, Stiles cursed to himself and grabbed his arm.

"Isaac, hey, hey, let it go, it's fine," he whispered, managing to pull his brother over to the wall. "Look at me, focus on me okay? Don't think about him or anyone else, let's just calm down. He's mad about what happened, he's just letting off steam. Don't worry about him okay." He could hear Isaac growling but his teeth hadn't shifted into total fangs so that was a plus; his eyes were only starting to glow as well. Dylan was lucky that he'd caught them off guard like that or else Isaac might have registered more anger than surprise. Once Dylan was gone from view, Stiles started walking with Isaac to class, talking to him the whole time, drowning out every other thought his brother may have had.

"I'm good, I'm good… as long as Andrew doesn't say anything. I just… I don't know about practice, that seems too risky after what Dylan said," Isaac whimpered.

"Just remember, head to the bathroom if he says anything at all to you, or about us. I'll come up with something for practice. Let's just get through sixth period first," Stiles promised.

Isaac nodded and took a deep breath, "Yea okay, I'll text you or Scott if I need help."

Stiles pulled him into a quick hug before speeding off to Econ, an idea already springing to mind.

*Sixth Period Trig*

Again, Lydia found herself waiting for someone to come into class; Ran was usually right behind her but she must have made an extra stop or something. She closed her eyes, silently going over what it was she was going to say, fingers moving quickly. Her eyes opened as she heard someone sit down next to her; Lydia turned and waved to Ran, a smile on her face. Her brought her right hand up to her chin, fingers touching her chin and then moving outward (thank you), then she held out both hands, index fingers extended, first pointing away from her and moving them to point to her chest (for coming), lastly she put her hand to her chest and then made both hands into the "Y" letter shape and swayed them back and forth in front of her (my party).

Ran's eyes widened, surprised that Lydia had obviously practiced to say that to her, there was no hesitation in her movements, just determination. She smiled, copying the Sign for party and then touching her fingers to her nose and then to her other hand (fun).

"I'm glad you had fun, I was worried you wouldn't," Lydia said, not having enough knowledge to form that sentence. "I'm glad Stiles was there, I had no idea you were friends, nor that you Signed. I'm sorry for not asking." She punctuated her apology by making a fist and rubbing it in a small circle over her chest (sorry).

Not many people think to ask, but it's nice to know that you are willing to learn Ran wrote down. Apparently going to Lydia's party had been a really good thing, it had allowed her to expand her circle of friends. It wasn't like she didn't have any, some like Stiles that either already knew ASL or were willing to learn and some like Lydia that were fine with communicating via the written word. But still, just today she learned that there were people around her that were willing to learn how to communicate to make things easier for her.

"Friends do that," Lydia answered, easily making the Sign for friends.

Ran nodded, also Signing 'friends' to show she agreed, they were friends.

*After School*

The final bell rang, excusing everyone from class; Stiles slowly packed up, gesturing for Scott to go ahead and find Isaac. He hadn't messaged them at all so hopefully that meant everything went okay. As the class emptied, Stiles approached Coach's desk, happy that Econ was his last class of the day.

"Hey Coach, can I talk to you?"

"About class or practice?"

"Practice," Stiles answered.

Coach nodded, "Sure Stilinski, what's on your mind."

"I just…I noticed that some of the other players are starting to feel hostile about what happened to Andrew. They were saying some nasty stuff, got all worked up over the weekend when they saw how bad Andrew was probably…"

"Did you want me to tell them to not get upset? Andrew was one of our top players you know."

"I know, actually I was thinking maybe just have Isaac and I run laps today. That way the guys see that we're still going to be punished for what happened, since I technically hurt Andrew too when I tripped. Maybe that will help calm them down?"

"That's pretty reasonable, why can't you apply this kind of brain power to class?" Coach asked. "I'll make a big deal about it so they see that I'm the one responsible for discipline and they can trust me to do my job. I can't do much about them being nasty, just as long as they don't get physical. But it was an accident anyways so it shouldn't escalate that bad. Go on and hit the locker rooms, I'll see you out on the field."

Stiles sagged with relief, at least for today, maybe tomorrow he'd gotten Isaac out of any physical contact with Dylan. Now they just needed to make sure Isaac had a pretty good hold over his wolf by the time he was allowed to practice again. It couldn't be that hard to get under control, right? He should be fine by Wednesday. He hurried out to the locker room, knowing that both his brothers were probably wondering what was up.

"Sorry, had to talk with one of the teachers, didn't have time in class," he called out in a normal voice as he started to change. Both of his brothers were still there, but they weren't the only ones and Stiles didn't want anyone to assume he'd complained to Coach. The three of them hustled out to the field as soon as Stiles was ready.

"Okay, you boys know the drills, we went over all of them before break. Congratulations on the newest members of the team, go out there and impress me, you might get some game time," Coach Finstock called out before blowing the whistle. "Stilinskis 14 and 24, front and center."

Scott groaned and started to make his way over to Coach, wondering what he had done but Adam nudged him, "He said 14, not 11, you're good."

He blinked in surprise, why was Isaac getting called and not him? Isaac was first string…

"I want you two on laps, all practice; let's see how many days of this until you learn to not hurt your teammates. Let's go!" Coach blew his whistle and sent them off.

Stiles of course groaned loudly, he'd always hated laps- he was not a runner. But this of course was his plan, no one would ever suspect that he'd asked for laps as punishment. As the two ran by, he gave a grateful smile to Coach and then hung his head, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

"So this was your plan? You running laps?" Isaac asked as they moved further away from the players.

"Yup, I figure if the team sees Coach punishing us for what happened to Andrew, they'd lose the animosity. Now no more talking, I have to focus on breathing," Stiles complained.

"Thanks. This, this is even better than what I came up with." Knowing that Stiles wasn't going to respond, Isaac took off, sprinting forward. Since he was going to be running, he might as well work off some of his energy.

Everything was fine for awhile, Isaac sprintng lap after lap, heart racing but still in complete control- he was just focused on moving his legs and not much else. As he moved to sprint past Stiles again he heard him groan in complaint.

"I swear if that's you I hear… I feel like Falcon right now, all that's missing is you saying 'on your left' as you speed by," he wheezed.

"How many times have I passed you?"

"15!" Coach Finstock called out, looking rather impressed as they ran by his spot on the field. Isaac really must have put some effort into his running over break- talk about stamina. That was quite the speed to maintain for so long.

"Okay, I'll run with you now, how's that sound?" Isaac asked, slowing his pace.

Stiles just nodded, not even trying to form words at this point. Maybe having someone run with him would help him to keep pushing forward, one step at a time. Judging just by his fatigue level, Stiles figured they had maybe another 20 minutes left of practice, he could do this…

They had gone maybe another full lap when suddenly they heard Scott shout, "Look out!"

Both of them turned to look at the middle of the field, wondering what was happening. Stiles took a second to realize that the small ball was flying right at his face; he threw his hands up and closed his eyes. Usually he was happy that Coach didn't make them run laps with their helmets on, now he was regretting that choice. He heard a loud smack, reflexively groaning in pain but as he opened his eyes, he saw Isaac's hand in front of him.

As soon as Isaac heard Scott call out, he turned to make sure his brother was alright, he hadn't said much during practice. He registered everything in slow motion, Dylan still standing in the throwing position and the ball soaring straight at them. Without a second thought, Isaac stepped forward and his hand shot out, grabbing the ball. He only vaguely registered a stinging sensation in the palm of his hand as he stared Dylan down.

A whistle blew and got everyone's attention, "Moore, what the hell was that? Did you think I wasn't paying attention? Don't even try to pass that off as an accident! Go wait for me in my office. You boys alright?" Coach called out.

"Fine Coach!" Isaac called out. Really the only reason he hadn't already thrown the ball back at Dylan was because Stiles's hand was on his wrist, stopping him.

"Coach saw, Dylan is in trouble. This will sort itself out in Coach's office. Let's just finish out laps," Stiles whispered.

Isaac lobbed the ball back to Scott, "Yea, whatever." He didn't want to think about if it only made it worse.

By the time practice was over, Stiles collapsed on the lawn, not wanting to shower- not having the energy to. "You guys go shower, I'm going to get my legs back so I'll be able to drive us home"

"You're lucky Scott noticed," Jackson said to him as the others walked away.

Stiles jumped, not expecting Jackson to still be out here, was he going to kick his ass or something?

"Dylan is pissed about what happened to Andrew, he has a shot at getting a scholarship next year and doesn't want him to miss out over Isaac's mistake."

"Yea, I gathered that. So why is he taking it out on me? I was on the inside, that ball was going to hit me, not Isaac," Stiles complained.

Jackson shrugged, "He's mad but he isn't going to risk another starter either. Just be careful, I don't want to have to kick anyone off the team over an accident. Don't do anything to push him, alright Stilinski."

"I didn't do anything, I was just running laps. I don't talk to him in classes either, like… how can I aggravate him?"

"By existing," Jackson called over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Great…Dylan may or may not try something else later… just what Isaac needs right now," Stiles sighed. "At least today is over."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to add, for anyone not knowledgeable about ASL, it's a different grammar system than regular English. Most sentences use the Subject-Verb-Object format and don't use a lot of the smaller words we do. So a direct translation of what Lydia Signed to Ran would be: Thank you, come, my party and Ran, a fluent Signer, would know how to translate the sentence into a full English one. A lot of meaning is translated via facial hints as well since a lot of Signs are used to represent multiple things. I am not an experienced Signer but I know someone who has a communications degree in ASL and I'm doing my best to be as accurate as possible while still learning all the intricate things myself =)
> 
> Also, just want to put it out there for my readers, I'm not making Ran deaf since I do not know anyone personally that is and I feel like I wouldn't be able to accurately describe what that lifestyle might be like. By having her parents be Deaf I'm hoping to give my readers a little bit of knowledge about the Deaf community, based on what I've learned, while not trying to appropriate something I literally have no personal experience with. Plus I think ASL is a beautiful language and if I can maybe encourage people to look into it by reading this story, I'd be happy =D


	13. Detention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tuesday doesn't go so well for the boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dylan is mentioned a lot in this chapter since he's a big problem regarding Isaac and Stiles. I do throw in a few other moments with the Hales, and also with Allison. Just felt like I'd warn you since he's technically a background OC I made up for the plotline hahaha.
> 
> Also, I'm borrowing from the detention scene with Isaac and Allison getting locked in the closet. It doesn't play out exactly the same as in the show, and of course, Allison isn't involved. But Isaac does get worked up and wolfs out so it's a bit of a stressed scene. Forewarning is all, no one gets hurt though, I promise.

*Tuesday*

*Stilinski Home*

Stiles rubbed his eyes and sighed, today was going to be a reeeeeeaaally long day- he'd been up all night! He'd been so preoccupied with what Jackson had told him, wondering how to fix it… It had taken him forever to do his homework, Scott and Isaac heading to bed way before he did. Thankfully the past few nights Isaac had stayed inside, satisfied to stay with them (or being too tired to answer the Alpha's calls perhaps). They were all staying in their own rooms, so hopefully he'd continue to be okay. If not, well Stiles was up so he could keep an ear out. Around midnight he finally finished his homework but he still sat at his desk, scribbling ideas on a piece of paper. It hadn't taken him long to get frustrated and start grumbling to himself and his door creaked open, a glowy-eyed Isaac standing there.

"Hey, uh, everything okay there Isaac? Is the Alpha calling you or?"

But Isaac didn't answer, he just came in and lifted Stiles from the chair, taking him over to the bed. "Stress," was all he said.

Stiles was pulled away from the memory of last night as Isaac started snuffling against his chest. Isaac felt concerned about his new status, worried he wouldn't be able to control it yet, at the first sign of his brother being in trouble, he was right there. The downside was that with his brother laying on top of him, he wasn't able to get much planning done on how to deal with Dylan… and now it was 7 and his alarm was going off.

"Why is your alarm so loud?" Isaac whined, suddenly awake and covering his ears.

"Sorry Bro, normally you aren't in here with me and I have trouble waking up sometimes. So I set a loud alarm. Come on, in the shower, Scott should be up soon."

Isaac stretched now that the loud noise was gone, "What am I doing in here anyways?"

"You… you don't even remember coming in?" Stiles asked, yawning widely. He was going to need a lot of his medicine to stay focused today…

"No… was I um… wolf-y?" Isaac asked in a quiet voice.

"Eh, you had glowing eyes but that's about it. I think you were stressed or something… I asked what was up and that's what you said, stress." It was a lie, even with this new side of Isaac, Stiles knew his brother well-his concern for Stiles's well being was obvious last night.

Isaac sighed, "Yea, I am stressed… after the night of the party and now Dylan… We haven't really been able to talk with Laura either… I don't want to do anything bad..."

"We'll get through this, you're doing good so far. And now that we know a bit about what triggers you, we'll do better. Plus we at least know that Dylan is mad so, that helps."

Isaac nodded and left the room, intending to take a shower; after he was gone, Stiles sighed and opened his medicine bottle, shaking out a few pills. Long day indeed…

*Hale Motel Room*

Cora huffed, barely sitting on the edge of one of the beds, not having slept much last night. "So what are we going to do, we haven't heard from the Argents, we have no idea where Kate is or what she's planning…"

"We'll stay away from her, it's no secret that we don't like her, she should just stay away from us if she wants to settle this. Then she can go back to terrorizing whatever town she came from," Laura answered. She was itching to shift into a wolf and do something but she knew she needed to stay Human, waiting for Victoria or Chris.

Derek was a bundle of clenched muscle, sitting beside Cora, unsure of what to do. It was important that he didn't interact with Kate- he'd lose it if he saw her. Hearing her voice had been awful enough.

"Chris and Victoria know how we feel about her, they'll take that into consideration while planning everything for tomorrow night. We just have to have faith in them."

Cora narrowed her eyes, looking at her brother, stressed beyond belief. "I don't trust any of them. The only reason I'm not attacking them is because you're my Alpha, and I will listen to what you say. But I'll be watching our backs and at the first sign of betrayal, I will slaughter them all."

Laura sighed, "Cora, there are at least 13 of them now, and that's if Kate came alone and didn't bring her own men. I will not lose another family member to the Argents so please, do not foolishly attack them when we're outnumbered. Be on guard for betrayal, be watchful of their every move- but don't do anything foolish."

"I promise… I'm just angry! But, I can stay in control, you've trained me well," Cora said, eyes softening. She may be brash and angry but she wasn't a fool, she'd wait for her chance to strike. But only if it came to that, Laura was right… it was possible that Chris and Victoria were truly on their side. Even Cora couldn't deny that Chris had given his word to find out who had destroyed their family, even if it was his sister. But ten years was too long! How come no one had any answers?

"Can I go out? I need to… work off some steam, please?" Cora blurted out suddenly, unable to sit in the dingy room any longer.

"Don't go far, I need to be able to call you back if we get word from the Argents. Did you want to go Derek?" Laura asked. It was easy to guess that Laura was uneasy about letting Cora go out alone, but at the same time, she didn't want to force Derek out into the open if he didn't want to go.

But to their surprise, Derek nodded, "I think a run will do me good right now. Let's see if Cora can keep up."

"Oh, feeling peppy are you? Let's see you smile after you've been eating my dust!" Cora shot back.

Laura smiled as the two of them left, Derek making sure to grab one of the keys; they were so excited they didn't even bother with the stairs, just leaping over the railing and into the parking lot. She was thankful that Parkour was becoming more widespread, and with Humans as well. Now it wasn't so strange to see someone jumping from buildings and over cars… hopefully they didn't draw the Hunters' attention though, they still didn't know who the rat might be.

*School*

*Lunch*

Stiles set his tray down on the table, leg bouncing as he looked over at Jackson and the other 'good' players. His leg was bouncing of its own accord as he remembered what Jackson had told him after practice.

"Everything okay?" Isaac asked, leg gently nudging his.

"I just…" Stiles heaved a sigh. There was no use trying to keep it a secret. "Remember what I told you about last night?"

"That Jackson said to give Dylan some space?" Scott recalled.

Stiles nodded, "Yea, that… well that's not exactly how he said it. He wasn't mean about it or anything," he hastened to add, seeing Isaac tense up. "He told me that Dylan was pissed off, but that he knew he couldn't take it out on you. So he advised me to just not piss Dylan off but I mean… I never interact with him! And yet I'm still pissing him off. I was up all night trying to come up with something but I have no idea. I mean I can fake sick and get out of Algebra but that won't work in the long run."

"I think with Coach talking to him yesterday, it probably made it worse too… Dylan sounded hella angry," Scott revealed.

"I'm dead…"

Isaac growled, "He won't touch you."

"He didn't mean it literally," Scott explained, catching Isaac's eye from across the table. "I know you know that, right?"

He took a deep breath, telling his Wolf to stay calm, his brother was right; after a few moments Isaac nodded to Scott, "Yea, I know."

"Let's hurry up and finish, maybe I can catch a 15 minute nap out on one of the tables," Stiles told them, stuffing food into his mouth.

Scott pouted, "You should have just told us last night, then we could have stayed up and helped. We might have even come up with something and then you would have gotten sleep."

"No, I wasn't going to worry you two, not if I had been able to come up with something. I'm used to long nights, you two need more sleep than me. Besides we've been good at being in our own rooms, which I think Dad is secretly relieved about. He would never force us to stop sleeping in the same room but he still thinks it's a bit weird and the less stress we cause him, the better."

Both brothers agreed and continued to eat their lunch, Scott giving Stiles some ideas while Isaac just focused on his food. The less he focused on the Dylan situation, the less his blood pressure rose, which meant no shifting.

*Fourth Period Biology*

Danny turned Jackson as Mr. Hill told them to all pair up, he was handing out some worksheet and told them to study together- Jackson was always his partner.

"Don't fail me now Danny, we're partnering," Jackson said, seeing a look on Danny's face.

"I… I know? Why'd you say that?"

Jackson raised a brow, "You have that look on your face, like you want to say something. I thought it had to do with us working together."

"I do want to talk to you about something but it has nothing to do with class. I've forgotten just how well we know each other," Danny commented with a smile.

"Okay, shoot."

Danny looked around for a second, making sure everyone was focused on their work. "It's about Dylan-"

Jackson scowled, "What about him?"

"You heard him when Coach was talking to him- he's pissed! He threw the ball right at Stiles's head. That's dangerous, it's one of the first rules we learned! Plus if that had been a game, even with helmets on, if he was deliberately aiming at someone's head like that, he'd have gotten kicked from the game. I get it, his friend was hurt but even Andrew isn't that angry about it."

"That's because Andrew is focused on getting better. The surgeon said it wasn't as bad as we first thought. He'll be out for awhile but as long as he doesn't overdo it, he'll be back to normal pretty fast."

Danny nodded his head, "See? If Andrew isn't even that mad about it, we need to talk to Dylan, make sure he understands that he needs to let it go. Isaac is a great player, and he's gotten even better over break- like a lot better. If Dylan pushes Stiles off of the team, we'll lose Isaac, and Scott as well."

"Who cares about Scott? But yea, losing Isaac would be bad…"

"You aren't that bad of a captain, I know you've noticed his improvement. He might make it up to second string this season, which will be good in case anyone else gets hurt during a game. Plus if this continues, you know Dylan will be at risk of getting kicked off and then he'll really hurt Stiles. This leads us back to losing Isaac and Scott."

Jackson groaned, "I know, I've thought about it a lot… I'm a good captain, a damn good captain! Scott has potential, as much as I hate to admit it, I'll admit it to you at least. I'll admit it on the field too when he's better. I already have plans to talk with Coach before practice starts."

"Oh, okay then. Well, then I guess we should start studying huh?" Danny asked, smiling. He should have known Jackson was on top of the situation but it made him feel better to double check. Sometimes Jackson was a little biased in his opinions but even he couldn't deny this was getting out of control.

*Fifth Period Algebra 2*

Isaac sighed and sat down in his chair, leg bouncing up and down; he was supposed to be running laps again today. But that didn't mean some of the other players were going to behave… They'd talked about it at lunch already but it was still heavy on his mind. Dylan was obviously harboring hard feelings and was hoping to pay Isaac back somehow- by going after Stiles! As soon as Dylan entered the classroom, Isaac glared at him, he couldn't help himself. Dylan of course noticed and scowled at him, eyes narrowed and Isaac picked up the unmistakable scent of anger. He wasn't the best at categorizing those things yet but anger was quite easy, Dylan left no room for uncertainty. The boys continued to glare at each other as Dylan took his seat behind Ran, right beside Stiles… He hadn't done anything yesterday, and since Mrs. Brane was such a hardass, it was doubtful anything would happen today either. What was a nasty comment after class? Stiles could handle that and Isaac would do his best to let it go. Maybe.

Stiles chewed on his lip, pondering if he should try to say sorry, even though he hadn't done anything… but he had a feeling that Dylan would get angrier…which didn't make sense but, when you're furious at someone, everything they do tends to get on your nerves. Thankfully the bell rang and class started, taking the decision out of Stiles's hands. Maybe he'd be able to come up with something during practice, while he was running laps.

"Okay, I'm passing back your quizzes and we'll spend the first few minutes of class going over them," Mrs. Brane announced, already moving between the rows.

There were a few groans here and there as well as a few relieved sighs as the students got their quizzes back. Stiles was one of those giving off a relieved sigh, he'd gotten a B, not bad! While Mrs. Brane was still passing them out, Karen, the girl that sat on Stiles's right, leaned over and asked him a question.

"Hey, what does this comment say? I can't tell…"

Stiles leaned over, squinted at the paper, "It looks like 'forgot to divide' to me…"

Karen flipped the paper over to check, "Oh right, ugh, I always forget that… thanks, her hand writing is kinda squished sometimes."

He smiled at her, agreeing. Before he could turn back around in his desk, he heard a rustle of paper and then Dylan was snickering.

"Serious, you got number 2 wrong Stiles? I didn't know you were that stupid. You must have only gotten a B by pure chance!"

He quickly spun around, glaring at the other teen, "Dude, give it back! I made a mistake, big deal."

In front of him, Isaac was clenching his fists, willing himself to not shift; it took everything he had to hold in a snarl and not leap out of his seat. Dylan was making more comments about Stiles's work and Stiles was too preoccupied with him to notice that Isaac was having trouble.

"Seriously, give it back!" Stiles whispered, at least attempting to not disrupt the class.

Ran, tired of the kid's attitude, spun around in her seat and snatched it from him, giving him a dirty look in the process.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

Stiles smiled, "Thanks Ran." He held his hand out for it but Dylan knocked his hand away.

"I wasn't done critiquing that yet."

Isaac finally stood up from his desk, staring Dylan down, hands balled into fists. He'd touched Stiles, and that was the final straw.

"That's it, all of you, detention after school! I'm done trying to talk over you all. Ran, return the quiz to Stiles and Isaac out in the hall to cool down! Dylan keep your hands on your desk!" Mrs. Brane shouted, getting all of their attention.

Isaac didn't move though, not until Stiles stood up and gently pushed on his shoulders, "Come on, let's just take a few minutes."

Thankfully Mrs. Brane didn't say anything about Stiles joining his brother out in the hall. It wasn't hard to see that Isaac was beyond pissed, so maybe having company out there would keep him from storming off.

"Okay, so Dylan is still extremely upset over all of this and acting like a 3rd grader…" Stiles mumbled to himself as the door closed behind them.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," Isaac said, looking down at his hands. As he unclenched, blood dripped from his palms, where his claws had pierced his skin.

"Holy crap dude, are you okay?" Stiles asked, grabbing one of his hands.

"Already healing, I'm fine… I'm just glad they didn't end up tearing Dylan's face up… Dude, Stiles… I wanted to hurt him," Isaac whispered.

Stiles pulled his brother in close, "Yea but you didn't, that's the important part. Your eyes weren't even glowing; I don't think anyone noticed your hands. You did a really good job Isaac."

Isaac just leaned against Stiles, focusing on his heartbeat to calm himself- Laura had been right, his Wolf was focused on Stiles. It was great for calming him down but… it was also a trigger, one that Dylan was all over. After a few moments, he wiped his hands on his dark jeans, not wanting to risk heading to the bathroom and getting into more trouble for not having a pass. "Okay, let's go back in…"

*Fifth Period Biology*

Allison doodled on her notes as she waited for class to start, Mr. Hill was an interesting teacher but he always took a few minutes at the beginning of class to organize everything. She was just getting started on an intricate arrowhead design when Mr. Hill finally called their attention.

"Okay class, today we're going to be going over the human body, starting of course with our skeleton. Since I know most of you don't want to listen to me drone on, I figure I'll let you work in pairs today. This is your own personal study time so if you choose to slack off then it will show in your grades. Pick someone you can work with, not someone you'll waste time with. While everyone picks partners I'll be handing out a sheet of paper with the list of bones I expect you to know for the upcoming test."

Allison bit her lip, she didn't really know anyone in this class yet, not well enough to pick a study partner… Of course there was Ashley but Allison wasn't a fan of hers and would rather not waste time in her company. Just as the other girl started in her direction, Allison was saved by someone dropping into the chair next to her.

"Hey can we be partners? My usual partner in crime isn't in this class with me, and most of the kids I do know in this class aren't the best at studying. My name is Vernon by the way, but you can call me Boyd, everyone does."

"Yea, sure, we can be partners, I'm Allison. So um… how did you want to study this list?"

Boyd looked over the list, "Well it's in alphabetical order, I was thinking, we just start at the top. We can point on ourselves which bone we think it is; if we come to one where we don't agree, we check the book?"

Allison smiled, "Sounds like a good plan. Um the first one is the Clavicle, I know that one, my mom broke hers years ago when she was skiing." She easily pointed to her collar bone, which Boyd pointed to as well, agreeing. "Next is um-"

"Wait, before we go on, I have to hear it from you, how was the date with Scott?" Boyd asked. He knew that Isaac hadn't lied to him, but he had to get a feel for what kind of person Allison was. He may not interact with Scott much, but he knew that he was the baby brother of the three and was easily the most naïve. He also knew that Allison sat with Lydia and the other girls, he'd seen them on the bench together at lacrosse practice.

"How did… where you at the party?" she asked, eyes narrowed. Sure, gossip traveled fast in high school but Scott didn't seem like the type that people gossiped about.

Boyd suddenly laughed, realizing how he must sound, "I'm sorry, you don't know me… I'm one of Isaac's close friends, outside his brothers of course. It was crazy to hear that he was actually going to one of Lydia's parties, so of course he told me all about it. Which means little Scott is the first out of all three of them to actually go on a date. So forgive me, I'm just curious. I hardly get to talk to Scott so I haven't had the chance to ask him."

Allison visibly relaxed, recalling his face from the first practice she had gone to. "I remember seeing you after school, you were sitting with a girl right? I… some of the players were rather rude to you…"

"Yea, that's my best friend Erica, we usually aren't big on sports but since we know all three Stilinski boys we figured we'd go watch them. Jackson is one of the big reasons we don't often make an appearance though, him and his friends."

"Jackson can be a bit in your face… and if you aren't in his circle of friends you're less than a speck of dirt to him," Allison agreed with a roll of her eyes. So Jackson wasn't her favorite person, she was polite enough when in his presence. But then she remembered his original question, "Scott is super nice though! We had a fun time at the party, even though Isaac got sick and they all left early. We're supposed to go on a second date sometime this week, depending on his work schedule."

"Well I'm glad to hear that, I'm glad Scott isn't as horribly oblivious as his brother."

She leaned forward, "Which brother?"

Boyd looked around, deciding that it might be worth it to break Erica's confidence, just this once. "Erica, my friend, she really, really likes Stiles but I don't think he has any idea. I mean, it would be one thing if he just didn't like her as anything other than a friend but…"

"It's still easy to tell when someone has clearly not noticed a crush versus when they just don't return it. Why doesn't she tell him, or you tell him?"

"She doesn't want me too, she's convinced that Stiles would never go for her and she doesn't want to ruin the small friendship they have."

Allison pouted, "Sounds like Erica needs to take a risk. I mean, I've only known Stiles for a little bit but he's a great friend. He'd never let something like that ruin a friendship, I can tell."

"I completely agree but Erica doesn't have many friends so she'd rather not risk it. As it is, she stays away from Stiles like she's worried she'll do something to embarrass herself in front of him."

"So she's even nervous to be his friend? Wow, she must really have a crush on him." Allison tilted her head, wondering if she should mention anything to Scott. She wouldn't do it to hurt Erica of course, but surely Scott would know how best to approach his brother about something like this.

"Yea well, we'll see what happens I guess," Boyd sighed. He could tell that Allison was planning something though, and maybe Stiles would finally open his eyes. He didn't want to push it too far though, he didn't really know Allison after all, so they might as well get back to studying. "Well, I don't want you to think I'm a horrible study buddy so um, let's see… next on the list is the um… Coccyx? Is that how you say that?"

"Um… that's how I'd pronounce it… I have no idea though," Allison admitted.

"Check the book? Because I don't know either…"

"Let's put a question mark next to it, then we can check it at the end, so we don't spoil ourselves on the other answers."

Boyd smiled, "That's a good point. Okay, after that one is Femur."

*After School*

"Do you think Coach is really going to make you run laps again today?" Scott asked as he pulled a book out of his locker.

Isaac looked at his older brother, "You didn't tell him? If he doesn't know then Coach will think we're just ditching."

Scott narrowed his eyes, "You aren't going to practice?"

Stiles sighed, "No, we got detention… Dylan was being an ass in math class and we all ended up with detention."

"What? That's not fair!" he cried, closing his locker. "If Coach hears about any more trouble he might bench you for the whole season."

"I'm already benched for the whole season," Stiles mumbled to himself.

"That puts you in danger of getting kicked off entirely then," Isaac told him.

He just rolled his eyes, "Then I could cheer you from the bleachers instead of the bench. Big deal… I'm only on the team because you both wanted to try out and wouldn't let me abstain. I like the game, don't get me wrong but… I'm just not a good player. Plus I hate running! Coach always makes us do Cross Country in the off season- it's torture!"

"You aren't going to quit though, right?" Scott asked. This was their thing, something all three of them did together. It was a way to ensure they spent time together, which really, it wasn't like they were going to drift apart as they got older or anything, but it was still nice to have a group hobby.

"No I'm not going to quit, and I don't actually want Coach to kick me off the team. I'm just a complainer, you know that. But you get to practice and tell him where we are, we've got to go before we get in trouble."

"I'll see you after practice then," Scott said glumly, how was he supposed to get through practice with both of his brothers gone?

*Detention*

Mr. Harris sighed as the two Stilinski brothers walked into detention- no way was he going to allow them to be together. But he'd gotten the note from Mrs. Brane as well and putting Isaac and Dylan together would result in a fight, so he'd have to keep them busy some other way. Once he was fairly certain that all the trouble makers were present, Harris started calling roll.

"Okay, so the principal has given me permission to try something new today. I figure since the lot of you want to disrupt class, we'll be giving you some labor to do. I see a few familiar faces in here so obviously just sitting here after school for an hour isn't enough of a punishment for you."

A few of the kids looked around in confusion, wondering what exactly he meant. Stiles was fairly certain Harris was lying- no way was the principal going to okay a group of trouble makers doing random labor around campus… right?

"I've made a list of things that need to be done and I expect them to be done! You'll be working in pairs- No, Stilinski you won't be with your brother, obviously."

Isaac looked up, worried, his control still felt really shaky- what if he got paired with someone that said the wrong thing?

"Stilinskis, I know I can't pair either of you with Mr. Moore, so Isaac, you'll be with Miss Watanabe, Stiles, with Mr. Brown," Mr. Harris stated, giving them a look to ensure they knew it wasn't up for debate. He then went on to finish pairing up the rest of the group.

The boys both waited until Harris wasn't looking to sag with relief, Ran was the safe choice- she wouldn't do anything to upset Isaac. They sat around and waited, Mr. Harris giving each group instructions on where they were to go and what they'd be doing. After he dismissed them, telling them to be back within the hour or risk another detention. Isaac and Ran got to clean out the small janitor's closet on the second floor; luckily enough, Stiles and his partner were going to be on the second floor as well, cleaning one of the Biology classrooms. The four of them dashed up the stairs, wanting to hurry and clean so they could just go back to detention.

Ran sighed and opened the closet, reaching in to flick the light switch but nothing happened.

"Are you serious?" Isaac groaned. "Guess the first thing we're doing is looking for a light bulb…"

Ran sighed and nodded, opening the door all the way, glad that it didn't automatically close like the classroom doors. The light from the hallway lit up the small space so it would be fine until they found a working bulb.

"I'll uh, take this side… Sorry by the way… you're in detention because of me… Dylan is mad at me."

His companion frowned and shook her fist over her open palm, right Stiles, that was how she Signed Stiles. It was Stiles that Dylan had been harassing in class, not him.

"He's taking it out on Stiles, but it's my fault. I hurt Andrew, one of the guys on the team, and since I'm a starter he won't risk hurting me. So instead he's going after my brother," Isaac explained.

She wanted to tell him that Dylan was being a jackass but he didn't know enough ASL and she'd left her pens in her backpack, so all she could do was give him a sympathetic pat on his back.

Isaac cleared his throat, not wanting to dwell on earlier, lest he get angry again. So the two of them started to silently look through everything in the closet, organizing as they went- might as well kill two birds with one stone. Organize while they searched. They'd been at it a few minutes when suddenly the door slammed shut and there was the sound of a chair being lodged against the handle.

Ran made a disgruntled noise as she tried to push the door open but whoever had blocked it did a good job. She started pounding on the door, hoping a nearby teacher would hear and come let them out.

Next to her, Isaac went silent, heart racing. He'd been okay when the door slammed shut and they were trapped in the dark, but when Ran had started pounding on the door… his brain flashed back to when he was little, all the times he's clawed at the freezer door, crying to be let out. He shifted, terrified of being back with his father, needing to get out NOW. He leapt at the door and started clawing at it, pitiful whines coming from his throat; in his haste to get out he didn't think about the handle. It was like he was a kid again, defenseless and unable to escape.

Ran was knocked aside as Isaac scrambled to the door, was he afraid of the dark? There were splintering sounds as Isaac attacked the door in his hurry to get out. Blindly, she reached out to touch his shoulder, hoping to comfort him but Isaac jumped at the contact. He turned and snarled at her, golden eyes bright in the dark space as they looked at her. Ran screamed, the shine from his eyes illuminating enough of his face for her to know she wasn't safe in here with him.

'Get out, let me out!' Isaac chanted in his mind over and over as he pitifully attacked the door. Suddenly something touched his shoulder and Isaac jumped, terrified. Camden was in here too? He wasn't alone? Isaac turned hoping to see his brother, feeling comforted but the face that he saw wasn't his brother's and he snarled, surprised. His mind was still trying to piece together who was in the freezer with him, unsure if she was a threat, when she suddenly screamed and pulled away from him. It was the scream that finally brought him to his senses, the shrill noise ripping through the haze in his mind. He wasn't 6, he wasn't trapped in the basement, he was at school, 16… with Ran. And he was shifted. Even in the pitch black room, he was able to see, his clawed hands coming up to his face. Ran screamed again, holding her hands out in front of her. Isaac whimpered and immediately backed away, giving her space- letting her know he wasn't dangerous.

-Meanwhile-

"Dude, I don't remember leaving this much of a mess behind when we started dissecting stuff," Stiles grumbled, wiping down the tables. Seriously, Mr. Hill had always stopped class ten minutes early so they could have time to clean up last semester! This teacher obviously didn't care much about them not leaving a mess… Or maybe it had something to do with Harris. He probably told as many teachers as possible to leave their classes messy after 6th period!

"Yea, this is seriously gross," Stiles companion, Chad, agreed.

Suddenly a scream rang out, both boys stopping and looking out towards the hall.

"What the hell?" Chad wondered.

Stiles narrowed his eyes, it wasn't likely that a girl was getting assaulted, that would be way too bold, wouldn't it? Then he realized who else was on this floor with them- Ran and Isaac! Without a word, Stiles tore out of the classroom, just as Ran screamed again; he followed the sound down the hall, hoping Isaac hadn't lost control.

-Closet-

Isaac was whimpering pitifully, unsure of how to show Ran he wasn't going to hurt her; his heart was racing so it wasn't like he could just shift back. He slid to the floor, covering his face with his monstrous hands. How were they going to fix this?

Ran had pressed herself into the corner, trying to make herself as small as possible, heart hammering against her ribs. But Isaac didn't attack her, instead he curled up and looked away from her. He was making some strange noises though and Ran wasn't sure if he was safe to approach or not, figuring if she startled him again he'd lash out. So she stayed pressed into the corner, hardly daring to breathe. She heard someone calling out their names and tears of relief streamed down her cheeks, they were going to find her. But Isaac heard the voice as well and stood up suddenly, looking at her again.

Stiles was coming! He must have heard Ran, he could get her out of here, maybe explain things… but what… what if Stiles got mad at him? Ran was his friend, and Isaac was the monster… he started to hyperventilate, mind coming up with hundreds of negative possibilities in the few long seconds it took for Stiles to get to the door. It was like his dad had always yelled at him- he was a mistake! A fuck up, even at 6 years old. Now here he was, endangering someone close to Stiles. Isaac felt his control slipping again as his Wolf freaked out, wanting to protect itself from any possible harm, if Stiles was mad, he'd try to hurt the monster. He reached out and pulled Ran out of the corner, shoving her towards the door, needing her to get out, get safe.

She heard the chair scrape against the floor, she was almost free. But then she felt a strong hand grip her arm and she screamed- Ran had taken her eyes off of Isaac for a second, waiting for the door to open. She had no idea what he wanted with her but she didn't have time to register anything as she was pushed towards the door. Thankfully it opened before she was slammed into the splintered wood. Instead she was suddenly in Stiles's arms and the door slammed shut behind her. Ran cried and clung to Stiles, heart and mind both racing.

"You aren't hurt right? Are you okay?" Stiles asked, trying to examine her as she held onto him. Ran collapsed and Stiles sunk to the floor with her, arms wrapped around her as he looked towards the closed door. "Isaac?"

A snarl answered him and Ran flinched away from the sound.

"No, this isn't… this isn't Isaac… he wouldn't…" Stiles mumbled to himself, lost as to why Isaac had snarled. Was it a warning? Even if Isaac had lost that much control over his Wolf, he'd never attack Stiles. Never, he was sure of it. Did Ran do something to upset him? Did he want Stiles to take her away so he could calm down? And who had locked them in there in the first place?

Ran stood and tried to pull her friend away from the door, still unsure as to why Isaac wasn't attacking them. But they should escape while they still could.

"No… I have to help him, Isaac are you okay?" Stiles asked, nearing the door. When Ran whimpered, he turned to reassure her. "Isaac didn't mean it, honest. He won't hurt us, he won't. I just need to calm him down."

Ran wiped at her eyes, so Stiles knew what was going on with his brother… knew what he was. She looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity but she could still hear the low growls coming from Isaac as well. She crept closer to Stiles, hiding behind his back, fingers clutching at his shirt. Ran wasn't going to let him face Isaac alone, even if she was absolutely terrified of what she'd see when he opened the door.

Satisfied that Ran wasn't going to run off and call the cops, Stiles turned back to the door. "Isaac, it's me, Stiles, tell me what happened, please? Let me in, I can help." He reached out and twisted the handle, relieved when he realized that Isaac wasn't offering resistance anymore. The growls had stopped. He opened the door and saw Isaac curled up on the floor, clawed hands covering his face. Gently, he pulled Ran from behind him and gently moved her against the wall, not wanting her to join him in the closet. Then Stiles slowly stepped in and whispered to his brother. "Hey, come here, come here, it's okay now."

Isaac peeked through his fingers, afraid to face his brother. He'd almost hurt Ran and then he'd actually snarled at Stiles… He couldn't help himself, Isaac had gotten so worked up, thinking that Stiles was going to be mad, or disappointed in him and his Wolf had started to feel threatened. His Wolf was waiting for an attack. But Stiles didn't look mad, he didn't smell mad. He just had his arms open, gesturing for Isaac to hug him. Instantly Isaac flew off of the floor and tackled Stiles, burying his face in Stiles chest. He jumped when he heard a yelp come from beside them.

"It's okay Ran, he isn't hurting me, he isn't attacking," Stiles assured her. He hadn't been expecting Isaac to come at him with that much force. It had probably looked alarming from an outside perspective. He ran his fingers through Isaac's hair to calm him down, other arm wrapped around his back.

"W-what?" Ran stammered out in a quiet voice. She couldn't hold it in, her need for answers overriding her penchant for silence. Even though he'd done his best to hide his face, Ran had caught a glimpse of it.

"Werewolf," was all Stiles said in response. He'd managed to shift the two of them into a sitting position and sat so Isaac was shielded from Ran, knowing that his brother was feeling awful about what had happened. He reached out for her as she hurried to scoot away from them, "He isn't a monster! He just-" but Ran had stood and was running down the hall.

Isaac curled up tighter against Stiles, tears rolling down his cheeks, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to! I'm sorry, please don't hate me!"

Stiles felt his heart crack at his sorrowful tone. "Isaac, I know it was an accident, and Ran wasn't hurt, there was no blood. It was an accident. You're my brother, do… do you really think I'd hate you?"

"I just.. I heard you calling out and I got scared. Ran is your friend and she's Human and if I had hurt her the Argents would come after me. I thought I had disappointed you, that I'd done something bad and I got so worried! I didn't mean to snarl at you, I didn't!"

"I know that. I wasn't worried that you'd attack me, I was worried about you when I heard you snarl," Stiles explained. He'd started to rock them back and forth, counting his lucky stars that no one else had bothered to come and see what was going on… "I thought maybe you'd lost control, that you were warning me that Ran had upset you. But if you had lost control, I'm your Anchor, I needed to be in there with you to help you."

"My Wolf just kinda freaked out, with the thoughts racing through my head, he wanted to make sure you weren't going to try and hurt me."

Stiles was about to ask what had caused the episode in the first place when they heard footsteps coming towards them. Thankfully, as Isaac looked up in fear, Stiles saw that he had shifted back. "We'll come up with something, it will be okay."

"What the hell is going on here?" Mr. Harris called out, Ran and Chad both standing next to him. "Mr. Brown here came running in talking about hearing screaming and then Miss Watanabe all but yanked me out of my chair and pulled me up here. What happened to the door?!"

Isaac flinched at his tone, a part of his mind still thinking back to his father and the hell he went through all those years ago.

"Mr. Harris please stop yelling. I'm not sure what happened, Isaac hasn't exactly been able to explain just yet. I heard screaming and when I got here, there was a chair jammed under the closet door, keeping Ran and Isaac stuck in the room…"

Mr. Harris took in the scene, even he couldn't deny that Isaac had a faraway look in his eyes as his brother sat on the floor rocking him.

"I was back in the freezer," Isaac whispered.

Stiles sucked in a breath and hugged his brother tighter; Chad and Ran looked at each other confused, but Harris sighed… someone must have locked them in there. A quick glance into the small space and Harris knew that it must have triggered the poor boy. The light hadn't worked in there for weeks now, there was a short somewhere and if he'd been suddenly trapped in a small dark space, it would have brought all that racing back. What had happened to the Laheys ten years ago wasn't a big secret, and as much as he disliked the brothers for causing trouble, even he had sympathy.

"Go get your things and take him home. The rest of us won't speak of this, is that clear?" he asked the two other teens. Chad and Ran both nodded, still confused but not wanting to piss Harris off.

"Thank you," Stiles said, standing and keeping his taller brother tucked under his arm. Isaac stared at the floor, hurrying past the trio and holding his brother; they'd have to tell Laura about this… Who knew what Ran might say about the situation. The boys grabbed their bags and went out to the Jeep, Isaac pausing as he climbed in.

"What about Scott?"

"He still has practice for awhile… I'll text him and let him know what's up. But I'm taking you home, I can come back and pick him up when practice is over," Stiles answered, starting the car.

The ride home was quiet, Isaac not quite ready to talk about it, even though he knew Stiles deserved a clearer answer than what he'd mumbled to Harris. But Stiles didn't ask, not even as he helped Isaac up to his room and curled up with him on the bed. He just held him, rubbing his back.

"I… I don't know who did it, we were just going through everything when suddenly the door closed. It was dark because the light wasn't working… I was okay at first but then, Ran started banging on the door because she couldn't open it. I just… remembered. I was a kid again and I was begging to be let out of the freezer, kicking at the door and crying. I… I must have shifted- I freaked out and just started attacking the door, trying to get out. When Ran saw me she screamed… probably the glowing eyes or something," Isaac started, voice emotionless. "It was the scream that brought me back, I… I was shifted but like, the Wolf wasn't really in control? It was more like I was just terrified and my Wolf was trying to help me escape. So when Ran screamed I didn't try to attack her, I didn't feel threatened by her… I guess. I realized she was scared because of me, so I tried to stay away from her, since I couldn't talk… I just curled up. Then I heard you calling and at first I was relieved but the bad thoughts started then. I got so worked up and I felt the Wolf freaking out- I didn't know what it might do! Since I knew you were close I pushed her towards the door, I knew I had to get her out before I hurt her. Then I closed the door. I was so happy when I saw that you weren't mad at me."

"Like I said earlier, I was just worried. I had no idea what had set you off or how to fix it. Ran was terrified but I knew I had to get to you, help you calm down. What kind of bad thoughts, you mentioned the Argents?"

Isaac nodded, "It's all kinda blurred together now but I remember thinking that you'd be disappointed in me or… or think I was a monster. I remember hearing my dad yelling at me, saying I was a fuck up and that no one would love me… We've been through hell together-I know that but I couldn't push those thoughts away. So I got scared that you'd take Ran's side and try to hurt me or something. That was why I snarled, since the Wolf part of me didn't want to get hurt."

"But… with that in mind, you still didn't try to defend yourself when I opened the door. Because you would never hurt me, I wasn't afraid Isaac. You aren't a monster and I love you," Stiles assured him, rubbing his nose against Isaac's cheek.

"I'm scared, what if Ran tells someone?"

Stiles shook his head, "I don't think she will… but even if the Argents do find out about it, you didn't hurt her at all. You've done nothing wrong."

"Don't let them hurt me," Isaac whispered.

"I won't let anyone hurt you. I promised to protect you all those years ago and I won't go back on that now."

*Argent-Hale Meeting*

Laura sighed with relief when her phone finally went off, Victoria's name popping up on her screen. Cora and Derek still weren't back yet but they had messaged her a bit ago saying they were still okay. She grabbed up her stuff and sent out a mental howl, calling them back. Within seconds they responded so they must have been shifted- it was easier to respond in shifted form than Human form. She locked the room and waited by the Camaro, wishing for once they'd thought to bring the truck- the Camaro was so flashy... It didn't take long for her siblings to appear, both of them with dirt smudged faces.

"Get in my wild children, we have a meeting," she laughed.

"Shotgun!" Cora called, suddenly racing forward and climbing into the front seat.

"Brat!" Derek groaned, sliding into the backseat. "But now that means I can do this," he commented, reaching around her headrest and flicking her ear.

Laura rolled her eyes, "No messing around while the car is in motion or no toys!" She was glad they were in a better mood- who knew what kind of news the Argents were going to give them.

"So, where are we meeting them?" Derek asked, sliding back into a broody mood.

"Some diner downtown; Chris promised that the mole is accounted for as well as his sister. This is the safest time to meet up.

Cora perked up, "They think they found out who was passing on info to Gerard?"

"Sounded like it in the message but we'll find out more when we get there."

-Diner-

The three Hales easily spotted their companions, joining them at a booth; surprisingly there was a third person with them.

"Who is this?" Laura asked.

"My most trusted man, the one that helped me figure out who the mole was. I brought him here so you can ask him questions yourself."

"How did you figure it out? You haven't had much time," Cora noted.

Chris shrugged, "At first it was easy, out of all the men in town, only 6 were with me that night we first spoke. One was knocked out cold by Derek and had to be carried back to the SUVs so he was out. Funnily enough he would have been my first choice since he is the most recent man sent to us, from my father's usual helpers. Turns out he's plenty faithful, just not hateful enough for my father. Really, the only reason I found out so fast was because of Brandon here. Go on, tell them what you told me."

"Well I didn't think much of it at first, not until Chris approached me the other day. That same night as the meeting, I overheard Oliver on the phone, mentioning Gerard's name clearly. It isn't rare for various Argents and their soldiers to contact each other. What is rare is for Gerard Argent himself to conduct business with us soldiers."

"So even if it's rare, what proof do you have he is the mole?" Laura asked, listening to his heart carefully.

"He was recounting the night's events, which is really the only reason I'd stopped to listen. I was manning the second search in town for the Rogue and hadn't yet been briefed. This wasn't the usual recounting, he was standing at full attention, sparing no detail. Already I thought that odd, the amount of detail but I listened regardless. It wasn't until the end that I heard him say 'Yes, of course Mister Gerard, I'll tell you as soon as I get word' and he hung up. That caught my attention but I didn't make the connection of a mole until it was brought to my attention," Brandon finished.

"That is a compelling argument, although surely you have more?" Derek asked.

Victoria smiled, "Of course. It isn't rare that I invite our men to dinner every few nights, just so they don't have to cook for themselves. We swiped his phone while he was busy eating- Brandon here has very deft hands. Oliver isn't as cautious of a man as he should be, since he was surrounded by his comrades. He never cleared his call logs and he had Gerard in his phone by name, not under an alias. Apparently Oliver had been reporting back to Gerard for most of the year, before we even got word of the Rogue. He's planning something and we don't know the larger picture yet. But it became obvious to us that he wanted us to come to Beacon Hills for a reason-"

"That makes no sense… he's kept tabs on us since we left. He wants to get rid of us so if he knew we were heading back here, he would have sent Kate in the first place. She should have been here ahead of us, ready to slaughter us," Laura cut in.

"But he still sent her anyways, she's here now!" Cora growled, making sure to keep her voice low enough to not disturb the others in the diner.

"Is that what you were talking about, before? You mentioned something about 'giving Gerard the ammunition he needs,' do you think he really means to finish off the Hales?" Victoria asked.

Laura sighed, "We caught one of the men following us around a few years ago, persuaded him into telling us why he was there. He said that Wolves have no place in this world and it will bring Gerard great pleasure to wipe us all out one day. They never made a move, only occasionally we'd see someone outside our home. I think this has to do with the larger picture you're talking about. He's scheming something, and he sent Kate here to remind us of our place. But he also sent you here for a reason, and we need to figure out what that is…"

*Stilinski House, Later*

Isaac sighed when he heard their dad pull up, that meant Mom would be home soon and then Stiles would tell them about their day. Scott had been angry enough, sure that Dylan had been behind it somehow. Isaac of course was ready to blame him as well but Stiles said it couldn't have been him. Dylan and his partner were the lucky ones that got to clean the detention room under Harris's watchful eye. No way Dylan had managed to leave to go mess with Isaac.

"Do we really have to tell them?" Isaac asked for the third time.

"Yes, because they won't just let us stay home from school for no reason. You're still shaky Bro," Stiles answered in a soft voice. Even now, Isaac would flinch if one of them made even a moderately loud noise and his eyes were constantly darting around. He might feel better tomorrow but Stiles figured he deserved a break.

When Stiles had gone back to pick up Scott, Coach pulled him aside as well- Harris had told him of the incident. Stiles hadn't questioned why, it wasn't like Coach was going to blab about it or anything. Coach just wanted to make sure Isaac was okay, saying that if he needed a day off from practice, he'd understand. Stiles didn't bother to tell him that he was planning on having all three of them take a day.

"You boys staying out of trouble?" John asked, leaning in the open doorway.

Scott smiled, "Of course."

"Put on some decent clothes, Mom wants to go out to eat tonight."

All three boys smiled and celebrated.

-after dinner-

"Hey Mom, Dad, since we've been good… I was wondering if we could ask you something?" Stiles said, standing in the hall as they took off their jackets.

John narrowed his eyes, "What kind of favor are we talking here?"

"Before I explain, you have to promise to listen to the whole thing, fair?" Stiles asked.

Both parents nodded, already suspicious but they'd let him share the whole story.

"Okay so this all ties back to the Andrew thing, his friend Dylan is super pissed about the whole thing. He's said some nasty comments and tried to hit me with a lacrosse ball while I was running laps-"

"He threw it right at his head!" Scott clarified.

"Well thank goodness he missed, what did Coach say?" Melissa asked.

Isaac scowled, "He didn't miss. I caught the ball. It would have hit Stiles right in the temple if Scott hadn't alerted us. I'm just glad I was pacing with Stiles and was able to catch it."

Stiles cleared his throat, not wanting Isaac to dwell on that part, "So anyways, Coach did notice and yelled at Dylan for it. But today he was still being a total butt about it. He's in math class with Isaac and me and he snatched my quiz back and started making fun of my grade-"

John cut in, "I thought you said you were doing better in Algebra?"

"I got a B on it!" Stiles said, totally irked at the interruptions. "Totally not the point, he wouldn't give me my quiz back and we ended up causing a scene and all of us got detention-"

"Stiles…"

"No interruptions, you promised!"

"You're right, sorry," John amended, holding his hands up.

Stiles continued, "So, we go to detention, but Mr. Harris tells us that we're going to be the school's personal cleaning crew today for some reason. We all get put into pairs and off we go. Um… Isaac was told to clean the janitor's closet on the second floor. I was second floor as well um… I heard screaming and a pounding on the door. Apparently the light in the room wasn't working and some assholes went by and trapped Isaac and Ran in there. They jammed a chair under the handle-"

"I freaked out," Isaac admitted, deciding to cut to the chase. "It's been years but my mind flashed back…to the… freezer… Thankfully Stiles was nearby and figured out what was going on but, I was a mess. Harris actually let us out of detention early, that's how bad it was."

"Oh…" Melissa hurried forward and hugged her son, pulling him down to her shoulder.

Isaac wrapped his arms around her, tears leaking from his eyes. Even now, hours later, he was still envisioning himself as a little child again.

"Come on, in the kitchen," Melissa whispered, easily steering him into a chair.

Within moments, she set a warm mug of tea in front of him, sitting beside him, and just being a comforting presence. Isaac sighed and took a sip, holding the mug in both hands. He just sat there with Melissa while Stiles tried to talk their dad into letting them stay home. The mug was nice and warm in his hands and Isaac tried to let it ease his mind but his dad's voice wouldn't go away. 'Just breathe Isaac' he told himself- suddenly he heard a crack. The warm tea spilled over his hands as he opened his eyes, he had clenched and ended up breaking the mug. Isaac immediately ducked his head and shut his eyes, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"

Melissa, who had gotten up to grab a towel, dropped it on the floor and hurried to his side. She gently grabbed his face and turned him so he was facing her. "Isaac, it was an accident, you're okay. Just calm down, you're okay. No one is going to hurt you here."

Slowly he opened his eyes and looked around, seeing that Melissa's first concern was him and not the mess on the table. He fell out of the chair and into her arms, "I don't want to go anywhere tomorrow, don't make me go! I don't know if I'll be okay by tomorrow…"

"See Dad… we can't leave him alone like this…" Stiles whispered.

John nodded as Melissa looked over at him, concern in her eyes. "You're right, today was obviously a lot harder on him than we thought. We'll call the school in the morning. You're still getting the homework lists and doing it!"

"That's fine, I'd rather not fall behind anyways," Scott admitted.

"You can stay home Isaac, you can relax," Melissa reassured Isaac.

"Thank you," he mumbled against her shoulder.


	14. Teaming Up, Unexpected Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys stay home from school and get a couple different visitors. Chris and Victoria plan with the Hales to take down the Rogue. Then things get complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo I've officially decided to go with Stiles/Erica because Pre-Bite Erica deserves some love! Plus, I can't help but think they are totally cute together! So I am starting the groundwork for that hahaha
> 
> Ran makes an appearance and since the boys don't know much ASL she writes down her questions for them. Since I didn't want to put "Ran wrote down _" every single time, it will appear as it's own paragraph, like any regular quote. The difference will be that her questions will only have the single quote ( ' ' ) instead of the double ( " " ) to show that it isn't spoken. So the ones with the single quote are from Ran, just to clear that up in advance.
> 
> FIGHT NIGHT! So here comes the big night, the Hales and the Argents are teaming up to take down the Rogue! What will happen? Obviously there will be some violence but it's nothing super gory but I just want to let everyone know that I am going into some detail with the battle scene!

*Wednesday*

*Stilinski Home*

"You didn't have to stay home with me," Isaac said, looking at both of his brothers as they worked on homework from yesterday.

"Noooo way I was leaving you here alone, not after something like that…" Stiles said, wanting to make sure his brother knew that.

Scott nodded, "Yea, what kind of family would we be if we left you to deal with things on your own? Besides… it's probably still not safe for you, we haven't heard from Laura about the Alpha that's out there."

"Yea, I wonder how that is going."

"No idea, we can try messaging her, she did say that she'd keep an ear out- make sure the Argents don't catch wind of what happened. Like we said, you didn't hurt Ran at all, just freaked her out. But still, we don't need the complication of the Argents thinking they need to start hunting you as well," Stiles commented.

"I hope Deaton isn't too mad though, I mean I did have to call in… It was supposed to be my first day back yesterday," Scott sighed.

Stiles laughed, "Dude, he let you take a few weeks off so that way you could actually enjoy winter break, I think he's a pretty understanding boss. If Deaton wasn't okay with it, I'm sure he would have let you know."

"I know but… I just feel bad letting him down like that. But he seemed super understanding when I mentioned that Isaac had had a bad day."

"See, nothing to worry about."

Isaac bit his lip, "Yea I mean, it's not like he doesn't know about my history… Even… even Harris knows."

"Hey, he isn't going to say anything about it, I mean he's a total ass but he's not totally heartless. Maybe if it were me… but you don't piss him off like I do, so it's okay," Stiles assured him, reaching over to pat him on the shoulder.

Isaac smiled and then stiffened, eyes drawn to the red lines on Stiles's wrist.

"Isaac?"

"I had forgotten… I hurt you…"

Stiles frowned and then looked at his wrist, "Dude, no biggie. I didn't need stitches or anything and the scabs are already gone. In a few days it probably won't even be noticeable. It was an accident, you didn't even know about the claw thing yet- ever since you found out the truth, you've been super gentle with me and Scott."

"Yea, that… that's true. I didn't even tear your clothes yesterday, despite them being out," Isaac realized. He relaxed a bit, feeling like maybe he was really starting to get a handle on this Werewolf thing.

*Hale House*

Chris drove up to the house, parking a few yards away from the porch. As he got out of the car, Laura and Derek appeared from the trees.

"Thanks for meeting with me, Victoria is back at the house, briefing the men one last time. We're moving tonight, I figure, the sooner the better. We know that the Alpha hasn't been leaving his den until nightfall ever since the night of the party, we're going to set up early and surround him. He won't be leaving the train yard."

"Only in a body bag," Derek added on.

"True, we probably don't want to leave his body there, we'll dispose of it once everything is all clear. Now, equipment: I brought these armbands for you," Chris said, holding up a Velcro strap. "This light here emits a small beam that we'll all be able to see through our scopes. There will be no excuses for any of you to get shot; I suggest wearing them high up on your forearm, just so it will be mostly visible no matter what side we see you from. We won't be using Wolfsbane bullets so even if an accident happens and you guys get grazed, it won't have any dangerous side effects. Although I will have a magazine, just in case I have to put the Alpha down myself, but it will be in my chest pocket, not with my usual spares." Chris patted his chest, he almost never kept a magazine there since it wasn't easy to grab and reload in a hurry. But this way he wouldn't load it by accident and hurt the Hales. He was an amazing shot, but he was a firm believer of Murphy's Law and would not be responsible for hurting any of them. After he handed them the armbands, he did a quick rundown of the few whistles his team used, signaling which attack they'd be switching to.

"And Kate?" Laura asked, after practicing the whistles a few times.

"She doesn't like it but, she doesn't have room to argue. She's been thoroughly searched, her Wolfsbane ammo confiscated and she'll be by Victoria throughout the whole thing. As much as I know you don't want her there, I can't find a way to ensure she'll stay home so keeping a close eye on her is the best I can do. She may have a vendetta against your family but my sister isn't stupid, far from it… She won't risk taking action with us watching her so closely tonight."

"With any luck, she'll be gone after tonight anyways," Derek spat out. Thinking about how close she'd be made his skin crawl.

Chris nodded in agreement, "She's my sister but we work best when we aren't in such close proximity with each other. She's too much like our father. Any other questions?"

Both Hales shook their heads; he hadn't said anything about the incident at the high school so maybe the girl hadn't said anything yet. As long as they got rid of the Alpha tonight, Isaac was in the clear.

"Alright then, I'll see you in a few hours. Text one of us if something comes up." With that, Chris got back in his car and left, wanting to get his men settled early.

*After School*

With not much to do, the boys were sitting on the couch, taking turns killing each other in Halo when they heard a knock on their door.

"Oh, maybe that's Erica, with our homework, go get it Stiles," Isaac said, smiling to himself. It was mostly luck that had Stiles sitting this round out, but maybe that meant he'd actually have a conversation with her.

"Oh boy, more homework," Stiles moaned, getting up from his armchair. "Hey thanks for comi-" he started to say as he opened the door. But it wasn't Erica that was standing there, it was Ran. "Ran? Um, hi…this is… a surprise."

She held up her notebook, something already scribbled on it: 'You said he wasn't a monster. I want to see for myself, I'm willing to listen.'

"Ran's here?" Isaac yelped, pausing the game and jumping up from the couch. Was she going to yell at him or demand his head?

"Yea, okay, come in… I… we might not have all the answers but, we'll tell you what we know."

Ran nodded and entered the house, shoulders set, she was ready to figure this out. Stiles was her friend, she trusted him; she might not know Isaac that well but she was willing to give all of this a chance. As long as he didn't lash out at her again, she had some pepper spray in her pocket, just in case.

Stiles led her into the living room, "So um, Ran wants some answers-"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen yesterday, it wasn't because of you or anything," Isaac blurted out, not wanting her to hate him because of this.

A question: 'how long?'

"Just before school started so about a week. I had the dumb idea to go join the search for that missing hiker- without Dad's permission," Stiles started to explain. "Of course, my brothers weren't going to let me go alone. We got split up and then Isaac got attacked by something… It was all really surreal- the next morning he was completely healed, no marks or anything. We didn't find anything out until the night of the party though. I found someone online, talking about their own experience that was similar to Isaac's. Of course they didn't really believe me, I mean, Werewolf, yea right."

Ran held up her hand, stopping him there so she could write another question: 'Is that why he left early, the full moon?'

Isaac nodded, "Basically. I felt fine, it was the Alpha that bit me though… he was, he was at the party. I lost control but Stiles found me in time, before I could go running off with him. We had a friend take me home."

'This friend, does he know? Alpha?'

"Um actually yea, they knew what I was, but I didn't know they knew… I thought it was weird he offered to take me home but I was more concerned with not hurting anyone at the party. And uh… that part is a little complicated, we can probably answer that more in depth later, if you had other questions?" Isaac asked.

'At school, what happened?'

Isaac paled and looked down at his lap, not really sure if he could explain that. Stiles cleared his throat, not letting Isaac dwell on it. "Isaac isn't our real brother, I mean, none of us are blood related. I think I told you some of that. But Isaac, his dad was basically an abusive asshole and skipping most of the details, Isaac doesn't like small, confined, dark spaces any more. He told me later, that he was okay at first, but when you started knocking on the door it kinda tripped his memory. The memory is what freaked him out- the, the whole Werewolf thing, it's triggered by anger or fear, his heart beat rising too high."

Ran slowly nodded, 'So he had a panic attack, and that caused him to change?'

"Yea basically. We're still learning how exactly he can control it, and what might set him off. But being around me centers him, which was why I was so concerned with getting to him- to calm him down. He isn't dangerous, not as long as he stays in control. Now he just has two parts inside him, Human and Wolf, and he has to learn how to merge the two."

"Again, I'm sorry I scared you… I was so focused on getting out, I didn't even realize that you were in there with me. Then by the time I came back to my senses, I was too freaked out to shift back."

'When you grabbed me, you weren't trying to hurt me?'

Isaac shook his head adamantly, "No, no, I realized that I was getting stressed out even more and that you were scared. I didn't know what I might do and I knew Stiles was coming. I just wanted to get you out of danger, away from me."

Ran put her notebook down on the coffee table, slowly walking towards Isaac; he stood there, unsure of what to do. When she started to raise her hand, Isaac flinched a bit, expecting to get slapped over the whole ordeal he'd put her through. But she paused, moving slower, seeing he was on edge. Gently she turned his face towards hers, looking into his eyes. After a moment she raised her other hand, slowly finger-spelling G-L-O-W

"I think she wants you to do your eye thing," Scott whispered, not wanting to interrupt the moment, but he could tell that his brother hadn't caught on to what she was spelling either.

"I don't… I don't know how," he stammered out.

"You're nervous, let yourself feel that, we're still right here, you won't lose control," Stiles offered.

Isaac choked out a laugh, nervous seemed like a really light way of putting it but Stiles had a point. Instead of trying to keep it at bay like usual, he focused on how fast his heart was beating, his slightly uneven breathing and then felt the slightest of pressure build in his eyes. Ran leaned in closer, peering into his eyes intensely so he figured it must have worked. Then she let out a short nod, stepping away and going back to the couch.

Stiles walked over and squeezed Isaac's shoulder, reassuring him that he did good.

'His eyes remain kind, even when they are Wolf eyes, you were right Stiles. He isn't a monster. Now, explain about the Alpha?'

All three boys visibly relaxed, understanding now just what Ran had been doing. It was easy for them to know each other's moods and expressions since they've been together so long, but Ran didn't have that. She needed to see for herself, that he was still the Isaac she knew from the beginning of the year, the one with the soft, bright eyes.

Stiles once again took charge, since he was the one that was actively looking up everything he could about Werewolves. "So, I'm sure you're familiar with wolf pack structures, how they usually have an alpha to lead them, organize them and whatnot. Then you have the betas, the ones that get stuff done, fall in line, make up the rest of the group. Then some people call the scapegoat of the pack an omega, or even lone wolves. For Werewolves, it kinda follows the same lines, a bit. Alphas are the leaders of the Pack, they can control those that are ranked under them. Alphas can also bite people and change them- they are the only ones that can. I mean you can be born as a Werewolf but like, if one bites you, only an Alpha bite will make a change. Isaac is a Beta, which means he has an Alpha and is part of a Pack. Omegas are Beta Wolves that used to be in a Pack and aren't anymore, an Alpha without a Pack is still an Alpha. The big difference between normal wolf packs and Werewolf Packs is that, rank means everything. In animals, they usually have a general respect for those they deem higher in rank and everything goes smoothly. For Werewolves, a higher ranking Wolf can literally cow you into submission, using influence. So being an Omega usually isn't good since you're super vulnerable. There is a bunch of other stuff but I can't really confirm how much of it is correct, I haven't talked with um… our friend about-"

The doorbell interrupted him again. "That must be Erica," Isaac mumbled, going to the door himself this time.

"Hi Isaac, are you okay? Erica asked as soon as she saw him standing in the doorway.

He shrugged, not really wanting to lie to her too much, "Yesterday was really rough. Is everyone at school talking about it?" None of them had even thought to ask Ran that, more preoccupied with how she was going to react about Isaac.

"I didn't hear anything at all, no whispers, so I mean it wasn't all over the gossip column. But it's not like I'm the best gossiper so people wouldn't have told me anyways," Erica answered. She shyly stepped inside as Isaac opened the door wider.

"But I mean if it isn't all over the school, that means Chad and whoever did it are scared of Harris. I know Ran didn't say anything, she's here too. Where's Boyd, he didn't drop you off?"

Erica shook her head, "No he got a message during 6th, his mom needed the car like asap so he had to get home. I walked, that's why I'm a little late."

"I can totally give you a ride home," Stiles offered, feeling bad that she had to walk all the way here to give them their assignments for the day and then walk home on top of that.

"I, um okay yea, that'd be nice," Erica stammered out, cheeks turning pink. "Hi Ran, Scott," she added on as she walked into the living room.

Ran quickly closed her notebook and smiled at Erica; maybe it was good that she stopped by when she did, Ran was starting to get confused by everything. The group of them all caught up for a few minutes before Ran sighed and excused herself, knowing that she did actually need to get home. But she had satisfied her curiosity, understanding a bit about what Isaac was going through and that he wasn't dangerous. Now that she knew he was a supernatural creature and not by choice or birth, she'd help him. If she could, it wasn't like she was an expert... She did surprise them all by giving each of them a hug before leaving.

Erica bit her lip, looking up at Stiles, "I should probably go too, I messaged Mom about why I was going to be a bit late but she worries."

"No problem, let me grab my keys," he said, going over to the small hanger in the hallway. Scott stood up from the couch, used to just going everywhere with his brothers at this point and Isaac mentally slapped his forehead. Both of his brothers were hopeless.

"Hey Scott, grab me a soda while you're in the kitchen, thanks," he said, giving his brother a meaningful look.

"I wasn't… um, yea, okay…" Scott was confused for a moment, but then he realized that Isaac was expecting Stiles to go alone in dropping off Erica. So he had to cover somehow for Scott getting off the couch. He'd have to ask what was up with that after they left.

"Ready?"

"Yea," she smiled, waving to Isaac and Scott as Stiles led her out the front door. She was quiet for a few minutes but then Erica turned to Stiles. "So is he really okay?"

Stiles tilted his head, "It's been a little touch and go. Yesterday was really bad and I can see it in his eyes, he's still having those memories pop up. But he isn't shut off from us, which is good, and as the day goes on, he's gotten a lot more relaxed."

Erica remembered when Isaac had first told her about his history, it had been during a rather depressing day for all of them. They were at her house for the project (sans Adam since he had cross country for a few hours) and Boyd had been ranting about how his mom hardly ever paid him any attention. She was so busy with work and Alicia that Boyd felt like he didn't exist at home. Erica chipped in that her epilepsy interfered with everything and made her feel like a freak. It was a normal thing for them, to just let out all their negative feelings and try to lift each other up. They hadn't really thought that Isaac might need to vent too, just that both of them had had a bad day and trusted Isaac enough to vent in front of him. But their ranting must have triggered something in Isaac, he suddenly blurted out that his dad is a murderer. Of course he then had to clarify that he was adopted, he didn't mean the Sheriff. After that it was like a dam was released and Isaac was telling them about some of the stuff he remembered, realizing that the two of them wouldn't suddenly look at him weird because of his 'issues' – they were the first non-family people he trusted with the information. Needless to say both of them comforted him, joking that he won the 'bad day' trophy.

So when he called her the other night, just wanting to talk, she'd been saddened to hear about what had happened at school. She couldn't imagine being thrown into such a vivid panic attack like that.

"Let me know if we can do anything to help, is he coming to school tomorrow?"

"Yea, I think so. Unless he has a horrible nightmare or something. I doubt that will happen though, he's strong." Just then he pulled up to her house, putting the Jeep in park.

"Thanks, I know I don't live far but, it would have sucked to walk, then I'd have a super late start on my homework and stuff." She started to reach for the handle.

"Hey, um Erica…"

She turned back, suddenly nervous.

"I know I'm busy with lacrosse and everything, and the only reason we've really hung out so far was because of what happened in class but… maybe we can hang out at school more? I mean obviously you're good friends with my brother, so I want to get to know you too."

"I, uh… sure, t-that would be totally cool. Maybe Boyd and I can join you all for lunch or something?"

Stiles nodded, smiling brightly, "Yea, that would be awesome."

Erica said a quick goodbye and hurried inside, breathing in short, excited gasps. Was Stiles starting to notice her? ? And despite the fact they were thrown together over one of her seizures? ?

Back in the Jeep, Stiles smiled to himself; Erica seemed really sweet, if extremely introverted and shy, and he wanted to get to know her better. Just because she might be shy didn't mean she couldn't also be a totally cool person- Isaac was really close friends with her after all. Besides, he noticed she was wearing a Batman shirt, which hopefully meant they could geek out together! Batman was one of his favorites, much to his brothers' annoyance.

*Later*

"Alright men, are we ready for this? I know this isn't how we usually do things but we are technically in Hale territory and they deserve our respect." Chris looked around at the men standing beside him. There were a few that were already in position but most of them were moving in now, not wanting to completely alert the Rogue to their plan. As they snuck into the train yard, getting into positions on top of some old train cars, Laura and the others walked up.

"He hasn't left all day, although we're fairly certain he knows we've had him surrounded. We've seen him pacing around, looking out and snarling to himself. I don't think he knows we're working together though," Victoria told the Alpha. Then she lowered her voice some more, "And as a precaution, we searched Kate again, in case her friend decided to slip her something. But she's smarter than that, didn't have anything on her."

"Thanks, we can't be too careful when it comes to her," Laura acknowledged.

Chris came over to them, "We're all in position, all three of you have the armbands?"

All three Hales held out a forearm, the special lights already turned on. Chris and Victoria both nodded, "We'll have your backs then, do your thing."

As they walked away, Laura pulled her two sibling close, "Okay, this is just one Rogue Alpha, with no Pack. Isaac is safe at home, we checked in with Stiles. This will be easy for us- he doesn't stand a chance."

"He has to pay for his crimes," Cora added on, eyes already glowing as she prepped herself.

Just like that the three of them tore into the abandoned yard, charging towards the den. As they neared, Laura let out a fearsome roar, letting the Rogue know they were coming for him. He had challenged her by coming into Hale territory and she was letting him know he had to pay the price.

He responded with a weak roar of his own, leaping out to face them, he was beyond reason, Laura could see it. Not that they would have tried but there had been a chance he would have just laid down and let them end it quickly. But he was going to go out fighting apparently, it didn't matter though, they would take him down.

Laura leapt into the air, pulling his attention to her, but instead of tackling him, she dropped to the ground, somersaulting and the kicking him in the chest. As he flew back, Cora rushed to his side and slashed at his face, dancing away before the Rogue could swipe at her. Laura and Cora kept rushing him, keeping his guard up, unable to attack. Derek used the distraction to get behind him, landing a solid kick to his back, knocking him right into Laura's fist. The female Alpha dropped down on top of him, claws going for his throat but a stray bullet slammed into her shoulder and the Rogue instantly rolled away.

Cora was distracted, knowing exactly who had just shot her sister; her anger was the opening the other Alpha was waiting for. He ran up to her as she scanned the area for Kate, grabbing her arm and throwing her into Derek, dislocating her shoulder as he did so.

Laura cursed, whistling to signal to Chris that they were going to regroup so they needed to lay down some cover fire and stop him from escaping. Derek already popped Cora's arm back and she snarled at the Rogue. She positioned herself behind a railcar so none of the bullets would wing her and she slashed at the Alpha, pushing him to the open area again and again.

"Get this bullet out of my shoulder and put it in your pocket, Kate marks her bullets! I need to know if it was her or her little friend that shot me. Cora can't keep the advantage long, he is still an Alpha."

A few yards away, between the Beta cutting off his exit and the bullets coming dangerously close to splattering his brains on the gravel, he knew he needed help. He threw his head back and howled, calling to his only Beta.

-Meanwhile-

Isaac was lying on Stiles's bed, trying his best to focus on his homework but he had this nagging feeling in the back of his mind, one telling him to run… somewhere. His senses were starting to heighten as well, the small squeaks from Stiles's chair were getting louder, as was the tapping of Scott's pencil as he wrote. He thought he was doing pretty good at handling it until Stiles turned and looked at him.

"Uh oh, dude, your eyes are glowing. What's going on?" he asked, jumping out of his chair to lean closer to Isaac.

"I don't… I feel okay, like my heart isn't beating fast or anything. I'm just… hyped up. I can't explain it though…I just-" Before Isaac could try to explain it any better, a deep howl reached his ears through the open window. Instinct completely took over, he leapt off the bed and out the window.

"Isaac?! Dude!" Stiles gaped, hurrying to the window to see Isaac loping down the street. "Fuck Scott, we have to go after him!" He slid into his shoes and grabbed up his keys, running down the stairs, Scott right behind him.

"Where are-"

"Something's up with Isaac, he just took off, we're going after him, can't explain," Scott interrupted as their mom stood up from the couch. Just like that, both boys were in the Jeep and taking off after their brother.

Melissa didn't waste any time, she grabbed the house phone and called John, "Hurry, something is going on. Stiles and Scott just ran out of the house, said Isaac was running down the street. They went straight down Harney, what should I do?"

"Stay home, in case they come back before anyone finds them. I'll put a BOLO out. I'll call you or have one of the dispatchers call as soon as we get an idea of what's going on. I'm sure everything is fine, you know how Stiles tends to over react."

She sighed and thanked him before hanging up, not bothering to mention that is was Scott that had given her the half-assed description of what was going on.

John sighed as he put his phone back in his pocket and picked up his radio. "Hey Tara, you at the desk?"

"Yes Sheriff, what can I do for you?"

"I need you to put a BOLO out for Stiles's jeep. They just ran out of the house, mentioning something about Isaac. Melissa is worried about them. No need for sirens, just if anyone sees them, pass on their location to me please, I'll take care of it."

"Roger that Sheriff, I'm sure the three of them are fine," Tara reassured.

"I certainly hope so but the story might change after I get my hands on them."

Tara held back a laugh as she radioed the BOLO out to all the cruisers; surely they were just being teenagers. They had gotten into a few rough spots over the years but nothing really troublesome. And it wasn't like anyone in town really held it against the Sheriff, why else would he still be in the top position?

-Meanwhile-

Damn dude, he's fast!" Stiles complained as he sped down the street, doing his best to keep Isaac in his headlights without completely ignoring all the stop signs.

"If anyone sees him…" Scott whined, sure that Isaac was completely shifted right now.

Eventually they left the more populated neighborhoods and the boys could breathe easier, until Isaac jumped the fence into the train yard. What was he doing here? Hastily Stiles maneuvered the Jeep to the entrance of the yard, not even registering that the usually locked gate was wide open. Both boys climbed out of the Jeep and ran into the yard, calling out for their brother.

-Meanwhile-

Laura ran up to the Rogue, slashing at his face and pushing him back into the opening- she had to make sure the Hunters had a clear shot at him in case things went wrong like before. With Derek and Cora pulling his attention now, this was going to be easy. She roared loudly, making the Rogue flinch from her power and kicked him solidly in the chest. As soon as he hit the ground, Cora jumped on him and raked her claws over his face, attempting to blind him. He was ready for her though, clawed hand coming up quickly and slashing her across her cheek before shifting his weight to knock her off. Laura's chest tightened when she heard Cora yelp but her sister spun away quickly before he could land a more dangerous blow. Cora was being reckless, anger rising and clouding her judgment.

As she stood up Derek pulled Cora aside, to check her face, make sure she wasn't too hurt and Laura focused on the Rogue. She baited him into stepping towards her and then tilted back, executing a back handspring and kicking him in the chin with her steel-toed boots. As soon as her feet hit the rocks, she planted on her right, crouched down and then kicked her left leg out, sweeping it and catching him in the shin. A resounding crack met her ears and he roared in pain as his tibia snapped. Just then a low whistle carried out over the abandoned space and all three Hales rolled away from the Rogue and shielded their faces. From atop train cars a few yards away, 5 Hunters popped up and started firing flash bolts from their crossbows and compound bows.

The Alpha roared in agony as the bombs flashed all around him, his sensitive eyes were burning; clawed hands went up to hold his face, willing the pain to go away. Chris let out another low whistle to signal that the coast was clear again. Derek was the first to recover, tackling the Rogue and slashing at his chest with a quick jabs; he was about to call out for Laura to land the killing blow but a lone, pitiful howl carried out across the train yard. The small distraction was enough for the Alpha to knock Derek off of him and he let out an answering howl.

"No, what is he doing here?" Laura whimpered, eyes wide as she realized who had howled. She turned towards Chris's position, signaling him to stand down- she wasn't going to let Isaac get shot for something he couldn't quite control.

Chris heard the signal, calling it out over the radios, this must be the Beta she was worried about. If she was willing to protect them though, he'd trust her judgment and hold fire; they weren't in the business of killing kids. As the growls and snarled died down, Chris turned his head, hearing someone calling out- who else had stumbled into the area? This was going to hell fast and they needed to get everything back under control! He jumped off the train car and hurried to the fight zone, calling again for a hold fire until he knew more about what was going on. As he rushed forward, time seemed to slow down- off to the left a dark figure loped into the fight zone just as two more figures stumbled into view on his right.

Laura saw Isaac first, calling out to Cora to keep him back- if they could just stop him from attacking anyone, the Argents wouldn't shoot at him. In all confusion, the Rogue had gotten away from Derek and was running towards Laura. No, not towards her, at the last second he jumped over her head and that was when she heard the screams. Of course! They'd told Scott and Stiles to keep an eye on Isaac, they had followed him here! She spun and raced past the Rogue, arms waving for the boys to run!

Stiles took in the sight in front of him, glowing eyes and half lit forms moving about in the open area. Suddenly one of them leapt in the air, straight for them. "Shit, Scott!" His arms flew up to protect his face as he skidded to a stop on the loose gravel. It was coming right for him and he had nowhere to go…

As the Rogue landed, Laura saw that Stiles was on the ground at his feet and Scott was a few feet away to the left. She had to make a choice- she dove past the other Alpha and covered Stiles's body with her own, snarling at the male. The snarl fell from her lips when she realized she was looking at open air and not red eyes. A scream rang out suddenly, her blood running cold. A few feet away Derek was pulling the Alpha away from Scott, clawed hand easily ripping out his throat but it was too late!

"No, Scott!" Stiles cried out, crawling out from under Laura's protective arms.

An enraged snarl filled the air and Isaac pulled away from Cora, fear for his brother overriding everything. When he had first entered the area, he had wanted to help his Alpha, they were under attack and it was important that his Alpha live! But then, he watched as the older male easily jumped to the side, realizing which teen the female was going to protect. He leapt upon the vulnerable teen and raked his claws down his chest, agonizing scream coming from Scott's throat. It was the scream that cleared Isaac's mind- he'd never mistake the sound of his brother's voice. Isaac sprinted across the clearing, amber eyes fading to a pale green* as Derek killed the Alpha, but he just wanted, needed, to get to Scott. As he slid to a crouch at Scott's head, another person was at his side- Stiles. He clutched at Stiles, needing to keep his older brother safe from the turmoil going on around them. Isaac wasn't going to let anyone else here hurt one of his brothers; he was growling, low in his throat, to warn everyone else exactly how serious he was.

Stiles wept as Isaac clung to him, ignoring the growls, clumsy hands trying to stop the bleeding. "Scott, you can't die! Scott!" Already he could feel his chest tightening at the thought of Scott dying out here.

"He's still alive, Chris! What do I do?" Laura yelled as the two Argents ran up to the scene. Already they told their men to clear out, leaving only one vehicle behind for their leaders to use. "I… I can save him."

"Then why are you just standing there?" Stiles sobbed, looking up at Laura for the first time. "Save him!"

"It's not… I can't just Bite him Stiles," Laura tried to explain.

"I already called an ambulance, called as soon as I saw those two boys come into the zone," Chris assured her. Even under circumstances like this, they needed a parent here to give consent to the Bite.

Stiles pressed down harder on Scott's chest, "He won't make it that long!"

"Are you sure you can save him? The Bite doesn't always take," Chris argued, knowing they were wasting precious seconds.

"I-I don't… want to d-die," Scott choked, one hand reaching up to grip Stiles's wrist. His chest was on fire, the pain was all he could focus on. It had taken all the strength he had left just to get those few words out.

That was all it took, Victoria nodded, "Do it, do everything you can. We can't lose another life to that Rogue."

Laura nodded, relief flooding her system, as long as Victoria gave her permission they'd worry about the rest later. She quickly rolled up Scott's sleeve and bit down on his forearm, fangs easily piercing his skin. She focused solely on Scott, expecting her Betas to know what to do in the mean time.

Derek came back into view, having moved the now dead Alpha into a train car; he saw Laura give Scott the Bite and knew what she was planning. There was no way she was going to let him die on her and she was going to need space. That meant getting Isaac out of here, he was an emotionally charged Omega right now and was only going to get in the way after the ambulance arrived. "Sorry Isaac but we have to go."

Isaac stood up, trusting Stiles to protect Scott, and snarled at the Beta in front of him. His muddled mind didn't completely understand what the female Alpha was doing, but Stiles was asking her for help. If Stiles was willing to trust her right now, then so would he. But he wasn't going anywhere, not when his brothers needed him. Derek winced as he slammed his fist into the teenager's jaw, knocking him unconscious.

"What did you do?" Stiles whimpered, unable to help Isaac since he was still pressing on Scott's wounds.

"I have to get him out of here before the paramedics arrive Stiles. He is in no state to be around Humans. I just knocked him out since that will be the easiest way to move him. He'll be fine, I promise- just stay with Scott." Without waiting for a response, Derek carried the limp Omega to the car, speeding out of the yard and heading to the house.

"What do you need us to do?" Victoria asked, kneeling down and helping Stiles to stem the blood loss. Laura had her hands over Scott's chest, eyes glowing brightly but she was so intently focused that Victoria realized she hadn't heard her.

"She can't hear you right now, she's focused. As soon as she's done, I'll need your help in moving her away from here, so the police don't see her. Chris can stay with Stiles since he's the one that called it in. We can explain more after that," Cora stated, kneeling at her sister's side.

Laura focused, knowing that she only had minutes to save Scott's life. As soon as she Bit him, the Werewolf venom had entered his system; usually it took hours for the venom to take over the host body and transform it, or kill it in some cases if it was rejected. But they didn't have hours, Scott would bleed out before then. So instead, she used her Alpha powers to command the venom into doing its job. By placing her hands over the wound, she was able to concentrate the new DNA to start working, patching up the worst of the damage and blood loss. By doing so, she guaranteed that Scott's body would accept the change and that he'd come out a Werewolf after this. Her power started to drain, she'd done all that she could, but luckily she could hear the sirens closing in. Laura allowed herself to collapse, knowing the venom would continue working now, without her guidance since it was bonded to Scott's body. She felt two pairs of arms lift her up and direct her further into the shadows.

They found a wall to lean against and slowly lowered the Alpha down, Cora and Victoria sitting on either side of her. It was only a few moments before Victoria's curiosity got the better of her and she couldn't stay silent any longer.

"So, what exactly happened?"

"I… I guaranteed the Bite. It's… hard, very demanding but… I did it," Laura panted.

Victoria's eyes widened at her statement. Something like that was completely unheard of. "How can you do such a thing? I thought it was up to the body?"

"Usually it is, although some Weres can tell before they even Bite someone if it will take. The people that will accept the change, they have a certain… essence that we can pick up on. Probably something to do with ensuring our survival. Bitten Weres probably aren't aware of it, since they don't have the family history to teach them of such things but me, I can tell who will survive and who will not."

"Mom taught her early on, I remember eavesdropping on the lesson. She said to never offer the Bite to someone that would die, even if they begged and pleaded for it. 'Do whatever you need to in order to convince them they are better off as Human' Mom told her. Usually the mention of a probability of death scared away the unsure but occasionally she said, we'd have to mention the Hunters," Cora added on. She remembered it even after all these years because it amazed her that Mom and potentially Laura as well, could sniff out those who would die from a Bite.

Victoria smiled weakly, "Well I'm glad we are of some use and not just a scary bedtime story to tell naughty children."

Laura laughed dryly, "Yea, usually hearing stories about you Hunters would convince just about anyone that they should walk away. But Mom also taught me how to control the Bite, to ensure that it takes. It's hard to do and not something we do lightly, since turning Humans in the first place is highly regulated. Only in the most extreme cases will we give someone without the right essence the Bite. But Scott, he has what it takes to survive, all three of the brothers do- surprising since they technically aren't blood related. Odds on that are kinda high for the whole family but anyways… The Alpha just got lucky when he Bit Isaac, I'm certain he had no idea it would take- it was just by chance that they crossed paths."

"Then why did you have to ensure the Bite?" Victoria asked, confused. Despite the fact Isaac was given the Bite against his will, she was glad that he survived and wasn't another casualty on their watch.

"Well, the Bite normally takes hours to take effect, which usually doesn't matter but Scott didn't have time. So I asserted my Alpha control over the, well for lack of a better term, the venom in Scott's body. I basically ordered it to start bonding with his tissue, make the change, so he would start healing," Laura explained.

"That's… that's utterly amazing. I had no idea Alphas had that kind of power-"

Cora shook her head, "Not many do. It's similar to the fact that not all Weres have the ability to fully transform like Laura can. I mean, any Alpha can learn to ensure a Bite, unlike the transformation, but it takes a bunch of discipline and control that a lot of Weres just don't have. And like Laura mentioned, Bitten Wolves usually have no idea about that kind of ability or a way to sense it, only Wolves with lots of family knowledge are aware."

"Well, personally I think that's a good thing, if we had the wrong kind of Alphas out there, trying to become strong and they knew about that trick, the world would be a much scarier place." Victoria paused, looking closely at the Alpha at her side, "Thank you, for saving him… I know… I know why you hesitated, and I can't even begin to describe how amazed I am. You have a lot of history with those boys, and having one of them on Death's door, it should have been overwhelming for you. But you stayed in control and remembered the consequences of turning someone underage."

Laura nodded her head gravely, "I always remember. Mom told me that at the beginning of every lesson- she would have me recite the pact. If a Human were to find out about us, and ask for the Bite to cure an illness- we had to tell you about it. If they were a consenting adult, you had no right to stop us from administering it as long as we took complete responsibility for training them. If the person in question was a minor, we had to have full, informed consent from the parents or guardians as well as alert you before giving the Bite. You wanted to make sure the parents understood the full repercussions of what they were asking for their child. I have never Bitten anyone that didn't ask for it and I've never Bitten a child without parental consent. Scott will be the only one, and only because you were here to okay it. Hell, I've only actually Bitten 2 others, and they had other Pack plans lined up. I helped train them and then dismissed them from our Pack as per our deal."

Cora smiled to herself, "Hale Alphas are known for high success rates and they didn't want to take the risk of killing them."

"All just comes back to knowing who will live and who won't. Their Alpha could have done it and they would have been fine but eh, didn't really matter to me either way. Adds to our credibility," Laura chuckled. Then she turned back to Victoria, "So what does this mean for us?"

"I'll take full responsibility for green-lighting this, you won't have anything to worry about. You didn't break the pact so Gerard can't use this against you, I won't let him. I have no idea what will happen when we explain it to Scott's parents though but if it means he wasn't going to die… it will be worth it. What will become of Isaac?"

"He's fully prepared to join my Pack- he offered to even before we attacked his Alpha but it would have been hard for him to sever the tie. We had to wait for the Alpha to be dead before I could accept him. Scott of course is my Beta by default, I will train both of them," Laura promised.

"What about Allison?" Cora asked suddenly. "I know her and Scott like each other…"

"I don't know yet, I haven't thought that far ahead… Let's just worry about getting you out of here before the Sheriff finds us." She helped the eldest Hale to her feet again, pulling the car keys out of her pocket. "Where do you want me to take you? Chris will be with the Sheriff, no doubt filling him in on the real situation on the ride to the hospital."

"Our house please, that's where Derek would have taken Isaac. I need to see him as soon as possible to explain the situation and let him into the Pack," Laura answered.

-Meanwhile-

John was speeding down Laird Street after a deputy radioed him saying they saw the Jeep go flying by. He had no idea what the boys were doing down here, this was the industrial side of town. His heart almost stopped when he heard the call go out for an ambulance, the address given was the old train yard- exactly where Stiles's Jeep had been heading. He pulled up to the entrance at the same time as the ambulance, their flashing lights illuminating the light blue vehicle. John immediately jumped out of his cruiser and followed the EMTs, asking if they had word on who the victim was. Heaven help him if anyone tried to take his sons away from him- he'd already lost his first love and he was not going to lose a child. He stopped cold as he saw Stiles and another man kneeling over Scott, blood all over their hands and his shirt.

"What happened?" he asked in a quiet voice, stepping forward slowly.

Immediately Chris stood up and reassured the Sheriff. "Scott should be okay. He lost a lot of blood but I was here when I saw the attack; the cuts aren't super deep and with Stiles's help I was able to slow the bleeding. Sheriff, he's going to be fine."

"Why are you out here with my sons? Who attacked him?" John demanded to know as the EMTs shifted Scott onto the stretcher.

"I was out here meeting up with a potential client. I don't know what your boys were doing out here but there was a mountain lion, just sprang out of nowhere and got Scott in the chest. I scared it off before it could get a second attack in and called 911."

Of course John knew that Mr. Argent was lying, what kind of client meeting would be so late and in an abandoned train yard? But he'd worry about the details later, instead choosing to follow the stretcher back to the waiting ambulance.

"Mr. Stilinski, we've got him stable, he'll be fine. We're going to have to give him some blood and he'll need stitches but he isn't in any danger."

"Dad, can I ride with him, please," Stiles begged.

He was looking rugged, face pale and eyes wide- John knew he was close to having a panic attack and separating the two of them would only make it worse. "Of course, I'll be right behind you, in the cruiser okay."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't know this would happen," Stiles tearfully apologized as he stepped into the back of the emergency vehicle.

"We'll talk about that later, you just stay with your brother, everything will be fine."

With that the EMTs closed the doors and they sped off towards the hospital. John turned towards the other man, "You're coming with me, and this time, no skipping the details!"

"Of course, although, we're going to have to go somewhere private to talk- you aren't going to like what I have to say and there is no 'short version' I can give you on the way to the hospital," Chris told him, sliding into the passenger side of the cruiser.

"Before you start, I have to radio this in, Melissa is going to be worried sick." Chris nodded in understanding as the Sheriff called it in. "Tara, I need you to call Melissa. I found the boys… I found two of them-"

"I assure you Isaac is also fine," Chris cut in before panic could take hold.

"Tell Melissa that Scott was attacked and is on the way to the hospital. The EMTs assured me he was stable and not in bad condition, they have every reason to believe that he'll be just fine. And please, ask her to not speed too much on the way to the hospital."

"Will do Sheriff."

John sighed heavily as he put on his sirens and tore after the ambulance. He noticed the complete change in Chris's demeanor as soon as they were alone. "Okay, start talking."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAM! Scott's been Bitten! Isaac is an Omega and will soon be a part of the Hale Pack, and the Rogue is dead!
> 
> * note for the asterisk: I know it isn't Canon but I've always wanted a way to differentiate between Betas and Omegas. In my fic (this is also in my Adoptions fic so it might not be new to some of you) I'm keeping the gold/amber color for Betas and a light green color for an Omega. Since blue overwrites the usual gold of being a Beta, it would also override the light green of an Omega (in my head at least). But in Isaac's case, his eyes are momentarily green instead of gold (versus if I ever made Derek an Omega, his eyes would have just stayed blue regardless).


	15. Were-What?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura and the Argents answer some questions; John and Melissa take it pretty well but we'll see how they feeling after sleeping in it. The Argents remake the pact with the Hales, consisting of only a few rules, but they are very important rules!

*Hale House*

Isaac whined and opened his eyes, the sound of a car door closing waking him up. He groaned and looked around, confused as to where he was. The last thing he really clearly remembered was working on his homework, then something happened. But then the door next to him opened and he was yanked out of the backseat. His Wolf registered the strong smell of Alpha and reacted, slashing out, trying to get the hand on his shoulder to let go.

"Get off, I didn't do anything," he growled out, feeling defensive. Had he somehow gone into someone else's territory? Had his Alpha done something and Isaac was paying the price? That had to be why his memory was foggy, he had wolfed out or something.

"Isaac calm down," Derek yelled. He'd been taken by surprise when Isaac had lashed out, but he was probably still confused as to what was going on. Of course since he was so worked up, he didn't really register Derek's voice either, still trying to claw at him, eyes glowing. He didn't have the time (or the patience) to deal with this, so he Beta-shifted and roared in Isaac's face. The effect was immediate, Isaac went limp and sank to the ground with his head bowed. Derek scowled at himself, he'd put too much of his new Alpha power behind that- Isaac was technically an Omega right now, so that was way too strong. This was going to take some getting used to…

"Isaac, are you calm now? I'm sorry I didn't mean to, put so much power behind that…"

"Please don't kill me," Isaac whimpered.

Derek sighed and crouched down, "Isaac, it's me, Derek, you're safe. I was just trying to calm you down, I'm not going to hurt you. We just needed to get you out of there before the paramedics arrived and you attacked them."

Isaac blinked and looked up, trying to piece together his memories. "Paramedics? Did I hurt someone, I don't remember hurting anyone but, I was mad… at someone…"

"You were mad at us, we were attacking your Alpha tonight and he called for help. Cora was holding you back, and since she isn't your Pack you probably felt aggressive towards her, but you didn't hurt her. The paramedics were for Scott…"

"Scott?! What happened? Tell me, please!"

"Hey, he's going to be fine, I promise, Laura… Laura took care of him. But he was attacked by the Alpha… Stiles and Scott were both there and Laura thought he was going for Stiles, so she tried to protect him. Scott was wide open and I wasn't close enough… The Alpha is dead now, he can't control you anymore, and he won't hurt anyone else."

Isaac started to shake, the anger coming back, "He attacked Scott? And you're sure he's dead?"

"Yes, he attacked Scott, slashed at him but Laura gave him the Bite, he'll heal from the attack and be fine. And I know he's dead because I have his power now," Derek answered, flashing his newly red eyes.

"Wait, what does that mean? You had blue eyes before, and Cora had amber eyes, like me… Laura has red eyes though, I'm confused…"

"Eye color shows your status, and your eyes aren't amber anymore, they are pale green-"

"What does that mean, is that bad?" Isaac cut in, worried.

Derek rolled his eyes, moving them to the porch. "I was getting to that. The natural eye color of a Werewolf is amber, the typical Beta color, the most common. Red is for Alphas, since red corresponds with power. Omegas, or Betas that don't have a pack, their eyes fade to pale green. Then there are the blue eyes… Blue overrides the amber and the green, Alpha red is the only eye color that dominates it. Blue means… it means that you've taken the life of an innocent."

"You… you killed someone? I mean, an innocent someone?"

"It wasn't like you're thinking, I didn't kill anyone out of cold blood, or lose control, nothing like that, although that is the most common way to get blue eyes. It… it was a mercy killing, my girlfriend, she was dying, in pain… She begged me to do it… But my eyes will never be amber again," Derek confessed.

"I'm… I'm sorry, that's, that's a lot of pressure to put on someone. I… I probably would have done the same thing though honestly, I wouldn't want to see someone I cared about in pain like that. How old were you?"

Derek knitted his fingers together, not really wanting to answer but he knew that Isaac didn't deserve a lie either. "I was 16, same age as you are now."

"Seriously? Wha… were you okay?"

"No, I wasn't… losing her was hard on me, I lost my Anchor, my control. I was a mess for a long time after that…"

"Yea that… that was when… the fire…all at the same time…"

Derek nodded, then cleared his throat, "Anyways, my eyes are red now because I'm an Alpha. There are only a few ways to gain the power of an Alpha. One is to inherit it, like Laura did when our mom died. That was how we really knew it was hopeless, when Laura's eyes changed. Then there are True Alphas, very rare- they gain the power by sheer force of will, they earn it. The easiest way, and also the worst way, is to kill an Alpha. By killing someone of a higher rank than you, you show that you are stronger, and you deserve the power more. Not that it means much in these circumstances, he was weak, only had one Beta and I'm a Hale. But, I still killed him so I absorbed his power."

"Oh, I get it… And… can you lose your Alpha power? I mean, in a way that doesn't involve you dying?"

"Oh yes. That's the beauty of it, the triskelion is actually our family's symbol. It shows how everything is just a continuous cycle. Alpha, Beta, Omega. A Werewolf can rise or fall into any of those three positions. If I wanted to, I could give up my Alpha power, go back to just being a Beta. I could also lose my spark, my will to be an Alpha due to outside circumstances, but I've never seen that happen so I don't know the specifics of that."

Isaac slowly nodded, "So your eyes would go back to being blue if that happened?"

"Right."

"And, just saying, to make sure I understand- if for any reason you became an Omega, your eyes would still stay blue, not go green like mine?"

"Still correct, yes. Status is important to Weres, being able to see eye color and know where they fall in a Pack is critical. Although of course, really powerful and skilled Wolves can tell by smell. Knowing if someone is a killer of the innocent is considered equally important so it overrides the other two. Of course now that I'm an Alpha people won't be able to tell but, eh, it's easy enough to tell by attitude alone if an Alpha stole their power or inherited it."

Isaac let out a breath, there was a lot more to being a Werewolf than Isaac had originally realized, but at least he knew what to look for in the future, if they ever came across another Werewolf. Red and blue eyes were probably best to be avoided, amber and green eyes were okay. But as he digested this information, another question came to mind, "Wait does this mean you aren't in Laura's Pack anymore?"

"What? No, we're still Pack."

"But… I kinda figured there was like one Alpha to a Pack kinda thing…?"

Derek laughed lightly, "No, Alphas can swear their allegiance to another Alpha, or in my case, a Beta can become an Alpha without usurping their original leader. Laura just has a lot more power now since she has an Alpha following her."

Isaac gently nudged Derek, wanting to try and lighten the mood, "Not gonna try and be Alpha over her?"

"Oh no, she'd kick my ass. She's the oldest so she has actual training to be an Alpha. I wouldn't stand a chance. Nor do I want that kind of responsibility, I'm more than happy to have her calling the shots. I'll stick with being the muscle."

"So how does this power thing work, you said that Laura is stronger now? What's that mean? Is it like… Wolves are stronger as one or something like that?"

"Well I mean yea, the bigger the Pack, the better off you are at defending your territory, but it's more than that. An Alpha, or the lead Alpha in a pack with more than one, gains strength with every member. You'll feel it too, when you join up with us, after Laura gets here. You'll just become stronger, in respect to the Pack's strength. But the Alpha gains the biggest boost out of all of us."

"So like, Cora will feel a bit stronger when I join, since the Pack will be 4 strong, instead of 3, but Laura will feel a lot stronger?" Isaac asked.

"Yes, but the Pack is going from 4 to 5 once you join, remember? Scott is her Beta now too."

"Oh, right… And the Argents? I thought it was bad to just Bite people, will Laura get in trouble for trying to save him?"

Before Derek could answer, both of them heard a car approaching, an SUV so hopefully that was Laura and Cora with Victoria.

Isaac stood, suddenly nervous as the car parked and Laura got out, coming over to them.

"You two okay?"

"Yea, I was just telling Isaac a bit more about ranks and stuff. Everything at the train yard went okay after we left?" Derek asked in return.

"Scott is okay?" Isaac blurted out.

"Scott is fine, the gashes were healing by the time the paramedics were loading him up in the ambulance. Your dad was there too, so Chris left to explain things to him, they should all be here before too long. But while we are waiting for them, I figure we could go over a few more things."

"Wait, but shouldn't Scott be here to listen in too? I mean, he has to learn too right?"

Laura smiled, "Yes and we'll of course include him but, Scott is already a part of my Pack, you aren't. You do still want to join us right?"

"Yea, of course, I don't know how to though…"

"It's really easy, come here," she told him, waving him closer.

Isaac nodded and stood up, taking a few steps closer to her. When he was just a few feet from her, Laura flashed her eyes at him, peering into his own. He felt his eyes light up of their own accord, responding to Laura reaching out to him. Then he heard her whispering in his head, her mouth not moving… he couldn't even really describe it as English, but he understood what she was saying on an instinctual level.

_"Will you join me?"_

Isaac nodded his head, feeling his inner Wolf howl within him as Laura accepted him; all of them watched as Isaac's eyes shifted back to amber.

"See, easy-peasy," Laura whispered.

"How?"

"Yes, is it okay if I ask how as well? I've always been curious as to how Pack acceptance works for non family members and those that weren't Bitten directly," Victoria asked.

Laura nodded, "Yea, no reason why I can't explain that to you. It can go two ways, but Isaac doesn't have enough experience with his Wolf to do the second one. An Alpha can ask an Omega, or even someone else's Beta to join them. It's hard to describe to someone that can't feel it… As you saw, I didn't verbally ask him anything, yet he nodded in response to my silent question. I invited him into my Pack and all he had to do was accept. Accepting is a lot easier than asking when you are as inexperienced as Isaac, especially considering he had no reason to deny me. He just had to say yes to my invitation. The second way is for a Beta or Omega to approach the Alpha and take the initiative, but they have to be good at silent communication for that. They have to know how to make their Wolf speak to other Wolves, asking for permission to join, which the Alpha can either accept or deny. Isaac obviously doesn't know how to do that yet, but listening to silent communication is easy. But this is a fundamental rule, acceptance has to be given from the receiving party. It is impossible to force a Wolf into your Pack that hasn't been turned directly by you."

"Which is a good thing too, I've heard that there was an Alpha over on the East Coast, who tried to bully others into joining him… But as long as a Were has a strong spirit, they can't be forced into it," Cora randomly added on.

Victoria frowned, "But what if the Alpha tries to break down that spirit, via torture or something? Is that a thing that can still happen?"

"Yea, it is, it's rare though. Especially since Betas aren't easily stolen, a Pack will work endlessly to track down a kidnapped member so things like torture don't work fast enough. For Omegas though it's probably easier, although it's rare an Omega would deny an Alpha in the first place, seeing as how they are more vulnerable on their own. And forcing Pack like that is highly frowned upon- if others were to catch wind of someone practicing that, they don't live long. That Alpha Cora just mentioned, only managed to coerce 3 Wolves into his Pack before he was taken out and his Betas were rehabilitated."

"I've been a Hunter since I was 15 and I'm still learning a lot. If things like this were more widely known, then maybe Hunters wouldn't be so eager to treat you all like monsters. Weres are like Humans, some of them are vile and need to be wiped out, but that doesn't mean every single member of the race does. But I can also understand why Werewolves are hesitant to share trade secrets like that, Hunters don't easily volunteer information either."

"But that's why we're working together right? To show everyone else it doesn't have to be so black and white. Plus when Scott gets here, we can work on the pact again, we are still renewing that right?"

"Of course, well I don't know if renewing is the right word since, it's supposed to signify your role as the current Alpha. We can make new rules, take out old ones that seem out of place, create a new pact for a new Alpha of Beacon Hills. But yea, we can use the old one as a guideline."

Laura nodded, "Okay, maybe we should discuss some ideas, then solidify everything once Chris and Scott get here."

Isaac moved back a bit as the Hales and Victoria all gathered around the SUV to discuss ideas for the new pact. He really didn't think he had enough influence to suggest any ideas for something like that. So he'd be content to listen and learn, just like Scott would when they made the list for real later tonight. Instead he went back to the porch, letting his Wolf get acquainted with this new power coursing through his veins. Derek had been right, he felt so much stronger now that he was Pack and not all alone. It was weird but he also felt a lot calmer than he did when the Rogue was his Alpha. Was it because Laura was much more experienced? He'd have to ask later.

*On the Road/Hospital*

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't take you in to Eichen House right now. You're telling me Werewolves are real… and that two of my sons are supernatural creatures?"

"Sheriff I understand that you are having a hard time with this, but we should at least talk with Stiles and Scott about it before you dismiss me as crazy. Isaac would also back my story since he was the first one Bitten," Chris said, this was never an easy conversation to have with people but the Sheriff was staying relatively calm, that was good. He didn't reach for his gun and only briefly took his eyes off the road when Chris had first mentioned Werewolves.

"Why were they Bitten in the first place? And what are you exactly, if you know about the supernatural world, so that must mean you're one too. Are vampires real, you aren't going to kill me are you? Because let me tell you, I won't go down easy."

"No, I'm not going to kill you, nor am I a vampire or anything similar, I'm a Human, but a skilled Human- I'm a Hunter, I've been trained to hunt down any creature that hurts Humans."

John gripped the steering wheel, "My boys haven't hurt anyone right?"

"No, we didn't even know about Isaac for sure, Laura didn't want to say anything and-"

"Laura too?"

"All of the Hales… well no, not all of them, there were a few Humans in the family. But they were all good Werewolves, they never hurt anyone. They were a great family, keeping track of everything supernatural that went on here."

"So that fire wasn't an accident was it?" John accused.

Chris shook his head, "No, a few weeks after it happened, Laura came to me and had me look at everything. I'm not even a trained investigator and I saw clear signs of arson, and then she told me that the fire marshal was dead, someone was clearing up loose ends. I'm still trying to figure out what happened but it's been a decade… Anyways, Isaac never hurt anyone, and Scott was given the Bite to save his life. Otherwise he would have died before the paramedics got there, we weren't going to let that happen. Laura will teach them both. And I'm here to help explain how this works."

"I can't believe I'm even considering this…"

"Then I won't say anymore until you see Scott. He won't even have to stay overnight, at most they'll give him a few stitches for a shallow wound and send him on his way."

"There was blood everywhere, he's going to need to be monitored, regardless of if it was really a mountain lion that got him or something else," John argued.

Chris nodded, "That's my point, he'd already healed so much between when he had received the Bite and when they were loading him into the ambulance, he'll have healed even more by the time the doctors are done with him. You'll see, and then you'll understand."

John grimaced, unsure how to feel about any of this, but they were at the hospital now so he quickly pulled into a spot and followed the paramedics in.

"John, what happened?" Melissa called out, seeing the blood covering Scott's shirt as they wheeled him by. She was holding onto Stiles now, knowing that he would try to follow the gurney into the surgery room. "Who is this?"

"I'm Chris Argent, I was there when your son was attacked… he's going to be fine, there was a lot of blood but overall the wounds weren't that awful. I… wait, you beat the ambulance here?"

"Of course I did, I know the quickest route to the hospital from our house, I'm often called in for emergencies and time is always of the essence. Are you sure he's going to be okay?"

"Melissa, Scott will be fine, he looked like he was in some pain when I saw him but his eyes were clear."

"Mom, Sc-Scott's going to be fine, but we have something to tell you… I-"

"Not here Stiles, let's go somewhere a little more private perhaps," Chris cut in.

Melissa narrowed her eyes, shielding Stiles from Chris, "What happened to my son?"

"Mom, no it's ok, Mr. Argent didn't hurt him, he was just trying to take care of the Rogue and save Isaac… but he didn't know about Isaac…"

"Isaac, he's hurt too?"

"No, I promise Isaac is fine, he's safe- he's with the Hales," Chris cut in. He knew that Laura used to babysit for them, surely she'd calm down knowing that Isaac was safe with them. "I can give you answers, just not here, there are too many people, and it is a very delicate subject. Normally things aren't done this way but there were a lot of unforeseen circumstances and we had to react. But things will be fine, let's just wait to get Scott out of here."

"What was he attacked by? Stiles, rogue what?" Melissa pushed, wanting answers.

"Officially it was a mountain lion," John whispered, not wanted to give the unofficial version just yet. But Melissa knew when to press the issue and when to hold off; she looked at John, nodding after a moment. She'd wait for answers, just as long as Scott and Isaac were both okay, she'd wait.

"Let's sit down and wait, it shouldn't be long," Chris offered, walking to the waiting room.

Stiles was shaking, all the adrenaline was probably wearing off now, but he watched Laura take care of Scott, saw the red glow of her eyes as she concentrated on saving his brother. He had no idea what she'd done but Scott had already gained some of his strength back in the ride to the hospital, able to squeeze Stiles's hand in reassurance.

"For Scott McCall?"

The entire group stood up, Melissa coming forward to greet her friend.

"It must have looked a lot worse that what it was, I know there was blood all over his shirt and I heard one of the paramedics mention a mountain lion? Still, they were very shallow scratches, could have been a lot worse. We just put in some stitches, monitored his blood levels- everything checked out okay. He'll need to come back in a few days so we can check on him but, he's ready to go home."

John narrowed his eyes and looked at Chris while Melissa hugged the doctor. Chris smiled at him and stood up, "That's great news Doc, I was just… better safe than sorry you know?"

"You did the right thing, reacting quickly and getting him here- you had no way of knowing how non-life threatening it was. He's getting dressed now and then we'll have one of the nurses bring him out."

"Thank you, so much," Melissa said again before finally going over to hug her husband.

Stiles came in close to Chris, whispering, "You aren't… I mean, I know Laura isn't in trouble, I heard Vic- I mean um Mrs. Argent say something about that but… Scott won't be in trouble or watched, anything like that, right?"

"Laura is a Hale, I trust her to take care of Scott, and Isaac. Scott has done nothing wrong, so no, we aren't going to hunt him down, your brother either. Laura would have known better than to keep his identity from me if he'd actually hurt someone, whether on accident or because of his Alpha. But she was adamant that he was innocent of anything and wanted to protect him. But, we will be watching, it is our job to watch Stiles. Even Weres with a good Alpha take time to learn control."

Stiles looked down at the floor and nodded, that… that made sense. But clearly Chris didn't know about their closeness. Isaac was able to immediately shift back if Stiles was there, surely Scott would be the same. Stiles would keep them in control- he would! He wasn't going to let them hurt anyone on accident, knowing that both of them would feel absolutely terrible.

"Hey Mom, I'm sorry I scared you… first we just left all of a sudden and now you're in the waiting room because of me…" Scott called out as a nurse wheeled him over. He was back in his tattered shirt and jacket, not having anything else to wear. A large white patch could be seen on his chest through the rips in his shirt.

"I'm just glad you're okay! Let's get you home and in bed," Melissa said, helping him to his feet.

As they walked out into the parking lot, Scott and Stiles both under Melissa's arms; John cleared his throat, "So, where are we heading to get our answers?"

"The old Hale house, my wife messaged me, everyone else is there."

"I'll follow you in my car… Scott did you want me to drop you off at home?"

"No, I need to go too, I have… I need to go, I'm fine, I promise," Scott answered. He didn't really know how to tell her but he needed to go see Laura, his Alpha. She was calling to him somehow, it felt like she was waiting to welcome him.

"Alright, Chris can ride with me, Stiles and Scott with your mother." John sighed and went over to the cruiser… Melissa probably wasn't going to take this much better than he had, but she had a solid head on her shoulders so hopefully this meeting wouldn't go too bad. Maybe… John wasn't even sure how he felt about it yet, what did being a Werewolf even mean?

*Hale House*

Isaac leapt to his feet as he heard the sound of approaching cars; Victoria had let them all know that they were heading this way but it had felt like it had been forever ago. John and Melissa pulled up, parking close to the SUV and climbing out. As soon as Scott was standing, Isaac ran over to him and hugged him close. "You're alive!" He breathed in his scent and rubbed their cheeks together, feeling so relieved.

"Laura? You're really back in town? Mr. Argent had mentioned Isaac was with you but…"

"Hey Melissa… yea we're all back, I'm sorry we didn't say anything but, there's been a lot going on."

"Yea, that's why we're here, Chris mentioned some answers?" John butt in.

"Yes, of course! I know everyone is going to have questions, especially you two, but you'll get answers," Laura promised, waving them closer to the house. As Scott walked by her, she reached out and ran her hand through his hair, smiling to herself- her Beta was home now. She waited until the family was sitting on the porch, standing with the others. "First, I'm sorry about what happened to Scott, we didn't… it all happened so fast. I'm sorry about Isaac too, he shouldn't have been introduced into our world like that. And now all five of you are in for a long night…"

"Chris said Isaac was fine, Isaac what happened to you?" Melissa asked.

"That's a long story… and it's my fault Scott and Stiles were outside tonight, I'm sorry! We should just let Laura and the Argents explain…"

"I've already told John but I know he didn't really believe me so I'll just start from the beginning again. Supernatural creatures exist in our world. They aren't always like what you hear in the stories, and not all of them are monsters. Laura, Derek, Cora, Isaac, and now Scott, are Werewolves." He stopped there, waiting for the disbelief.

Melissa narrowed her eyes, "What the hell are you talking about? Laura, what does he mean?"

"He's talking about this," Laura offered, flashing her red eyes, slowly going into her Beta shift. After a moment she shifted back, "It's not as scary as it sounds."

"I thought Werewolves were furry and they shifted on the full moon… I'm confused…" was all Melissa said, looking between everyone.

Victoria laughed, "Not a bad reaction, I've seen a lot worse. Werewolves in the real world aren't quite like movies and books make them out to be. Only very strong Weres can fully shift into a wolf, although all of them can shift like Laura just did, it's called a Beta shift."

"It's not tied to the moon either, another common misconception," Laura added on.

"But Laura can turn into a wolf, I've seen her do it!" Isaac called out, kinda excited to be learning more. And from more official sources rather than whatever Stiles found on the internet.

Laura smiled, "Yes, I inherited that from our mom. Although… I guess the best way to go from here is to answer questions?"

"Okay, so the shifting isn't tied to the moon, what is it tied to?" John asked, leaning forward.

"Your emotions, anything that raises your heart rate can trigger a shift- fear, excitement, anger, even jealousy for some people. All Weres are taught to find an Anchor, something that, even in the most extreme circumstances will keep them calm, in control. Right now Scott and Isaac have an extra essence inside them, their Wolf. Since they are new to this, they have to find a balance, and dominance, so finding an Anchor is important," Laura explained. "Once you have control, you can shift whenever you want, call forth the Wolf inside to help you."

"Does the moon do anything at all? I mean… it's in all the movies and lore, surely it does something?" Melissa asked.

Chris nodded, "It does, although it's mostly a concern for Weres that don't have control yet, or those that aren't dominant over their Wolf. The full moon raises their blood lust, their urge to hunt. It's when the Wolf is the most powerful and therefore hardest to control. Which is why we are around."

"And you are?"

John cut in, happy to have an answer for once, "They are Hunters. He told me that they basically help keep the balance, hunting down supernatural creatures that prey on Humans."

"But you're not going to hurt my kids, right? I mean, I know the next full moon isn't for awhile but what if they don't have control by then?"

"I won't let them hurt anyone, I promise, I'm going to start working with them immediately. Plus, Isaac has already found a pretty good Anchor, and I'm sure Scott will share it."

"He has, that's good, what is it?" Chris commented.

"Me… I um, help keep Isaac calm, center him," Stiles offered.

"And how exactly did you figure this out?"

"By being stupid," Cora mumbled.

"It was after the full moon, when we approached Isaac to tell him a little about being a Were, wanting to keep him safe from the Rogue. The boys all came over to get some answers out of us, things got just a little heated and Isaac took offense to Derek getting loud. Derek knocked him away and Stiles ran over to make sure Isaac was okay. Any other person might have died. But Isaac clung to him and within just a few moments was shifted back and in control. They are all super close, so even when Isaac's Wolf is taking over, it will still recognize Stiles and Scott, he has a built in Anchor, and I'm sure Scott will be the same way," Laura explained.

"I've heard you guys mention Rogue a few times, who are you referring to?" John asked.

"Werewolves naturally form Packs, made up of usually just one Alpha and then some Betas. A Beta that doesn't have a Pack becomes an Omega. Omegas have the highest chance of losing their humanity and becoming a rogue Werewolf- one that is almost completely dominated by the Wolf. The Were that was killing people, the 'vicious animal' everyone was worried about, was actually an Alpha. He had no Pack and was trying to create one, but he didn't have a lot of control and that made him a rogue. Since the Hale Pack has always been in charge of the Beacon Hills area, we came back to town to deal with him. But the Argents also caught wind of him and came to deal with the issue since technically we weren't living here at the time. But he is dead now, he won't be attacking anyone else and Isaac is the only one he managed to turn."

"And Isaac is a part of your Pack now right? Not an, um Omega?" Melissa asked.

"Correct, Scott and Isaac are both my Betas now, I'll be taking care of them."

John couldn't help but chuckle, "You boys are 16 now and yet, Laura still ends up being your babysitter."

"Hey! She isn't babysitting us, just teaching us!" Isaac pouted.

Stiles smiled, "Technically she doesn't have to watch out for me, I'm still Human."

"You may be Human Stiles, but both of your brothers are in my Pack, so you are too."

"Wait… I'm Pack? But…"

Laura came forward and pulled him into a one-armed hug, "Don't have to be a Were to be Pack. We'll protect you as one of our own- Humans are an integral part of Packs, they help keep us centered. Don't think you aren't important, okay?"

"I… yea okay. That's… that's actually very reassuring, I didn't want to be left out…"

"Were you worried we'd just… leave you behind or something?" Scott asked with sad puppy eyes.

"I'm Human, it's not like I can really keep up with either of you now…" Stiles mumbled.

"Nonsense, you heard what Laura said, you're Pack, and our brother. We're sticking together, always," Isaac stated.

Derek smiled as the three boys hugged each other, Laura was very observant, it wasn't hard to guess that Stiles was starting to feel left out. His mood had dipped a bit, even though he seemed to be his usually hyper self on the outside. It was when they had mentioned Stiles was an Anchor, like it made him just a tool or something. He had a lot to learn still- Anchors are important, especially when they are tied to a person instead of an emotion. So Stiles was still an important part of the trio, just not a superhuman like the other two. Derek would argue that he was the most important piece really, since he was the one in control of their control. But there would be time for more explanations later.

Laura was feeling pretty good about all of this, John and Melissa were handling this pretty well. There was always the chance that tomorrow they'd try and tell themselves it was all just a dream but they weren't calling anyone monsters or saying they were all crazy. She was certain that, while there might be minutes of uncertainty, they were on board and in this for the long haul. They loved those boys like crazy and surely a little bump in the road like finding out about the existence of supernatural creatures wasn't going to change that.

"I know there are probably still more questions, but it's getting kinda late and I know there is school tomorrow, why don't we go over the new pact?" Derek pointed out.

"Yea, let's do that, and then tomorrow I can tell them about just the Werewolf rules when we work on control and stuff," Laura agreed.

"Seriously rules? Man, I have a hard enough time keeping lacrosse rules straight," Scott groaned.

"Don't worry, there aren't that many." After making sure everyone's attention was on her, Laura started. "First rule of the pact: All Alpha Bites are to be regulated. Any minors requesting it are to schedule a meeting with their parents or guardians, fully informed consent is a must. The Argents cannot deny anyone that I, Laura Hale, have approved for a Bite, but it is only fair that they have prior knowledge before the transformation takes place.

"Rule two: Due to the influx of wanna-be Hunters, I've requested that any Hunter must be at least 17 years of age with one whole year of training before they can participate in hunts. Training can start at any age since that's a family's choice, but no actual hunts until they are 17 or older. The one year rule also stands for a person of any age that has recently joined the Argents- they must train with the Argents for one full year before hunting. This will allow the new Hunter to learn how the Argents do things, how _we_ do things, so no one gets hurt.

"Rule three: The Argents and their soldiers have the right to perform full moon checks on any new Were for the first three months of their transformation. If they feel a Were needs to be monitored further, they can bring that to me at their discretion.

"Rule four: In order for this pact to work, there is to be absolutely no violence between the two groups. Any altercations will be investigated and the responsible party will be disciplined. We need to show others that Weres and Hunters don't have to be adversaries, but to do that, we have to lead by example.

"Rule five: Co-op missions are to be integrated into how we provide safety for Beacon Hills. Members of both groups need to be able to trust and protect each other. For Weres that means memorizing the scents of everyone you'll be working with, for the Argents it means that anyone wearing the specialized armbands is off-limits." Laura pointed to the boys, "So if for any reason you're given an armband to wear, do _not_ take it off until I say so. If this rule is broken there will be severe disciplinary action.

"And finally rule six: Because we're working together as a team, all information is to be shared regarding visiting supernaturals and Hunters alike. We are a part of the same network now, that's the bottom line. Since we're Weres we'll most likely hear things through the grapevine concerning any Wolves or other creatures that are coming this way long before the Hunters. It's only fair to warn them, even if the creatures in question are innocents. The Argents are to return the favor if any news of visiting Hunters reaches them."

Stiles brightened, "Only six, that isn't bad at all. I mean, the first one doesn't really even apply to me since I'm not an Alpha but like… yea that's a good rule. Second rule isn't for me either but totally behind that, 100%."

"What does that mean for Allison?" Scott asked.

"Victoria and I were hoping to wait until she graduated to bring her into this, wanting to give her a normal high school life. Then it will be up to her if she wants to go to college or learn how to be a Hunter. She can always put off learning until she has a degree, or not learn at all, it's just very intensive training so doing both at the same time isn't really probable."

Scott looked down at the floor, "But what about us… I mean, I know it's nothing official yet but I was hoping to ask her out for a second date… and I'm a Werewolf now… Do I just not tell her? And what if she finds out? She's going to be pissed I didn't tell her…"

"As long as you learn control, and act like a respectable teenage boy, we don't have any issues with Allison dating you. But we do request you keep your new condition a secret for now. If she does find out and get mad, we'll explain that it was at our request and you didn't want to get on our bad side. She'll understand that," Victoria assured him. Admittedly she'd been against Allison getting close to Scott now that he had been turned but… they were here to work with the Hales, to really make a difference. What better way to really solidify their partnership than to give this potential relationship their blessing? Chris assured her that they'd monitor Scott, both as a Were and as a 16 year old boy dating their daughter. If he did something they didn't like, they'd ban Allison from seeing him, but until then, they had no reason to keep them apart.

"We should probably go… we have a lot to think over, and you said you'd be going over even more rules with the boys tomorrow. I think we need a bit of a breather to sort through all of this," Melissa mentioned.

"Ugh more rules on top of those six, I didn't sign up for rules!" Stiles complained good-naturedly.

"Well I didn't sign up at all and here we are so you better learn them or else I won't save you when Laura kicks your butt," Isaac told him, standing up. He was actually feeling good about this, learning just how dedicated both sides were to working together. At least he knew that, despite his horrible first encounter with them, they were here to help him.

"We'll see you boys tomorrow," Laura laughed.

"Wait, Laura… I know Derek explained the whole feeling stronger thing to me, but… I also feel a lot calmer now. How come?"

"That's because Laura isn't crazy," Cora offered.

"Not a very delicate way of putting it but, yea pretty much. I am in control of my Wolf, so I am a stabilizing source for you. Your old Alpha was on edge and lacked control so it weaved its way into your mind through that connection and set you on edge as well. He was angry all the time which made it that much easier for you to shift uncontrollably. That's not saying that you'll never accidently shift now that I'm your Alpha but, you won't have that underlying edge like before."

"Oh okay, I was just wondering… I had noticed it and wasn't really sure why it was different. Thanks, for everything," Isaac said as he hugged her.

They waved the Stilinskis off and then the Argents went to get into their SUV but Laura stopped them. "Hold on a sec, there was something else I wanted to discuss, but I didn't want to bring it up in front of them."

"Okay, shoot."

"Heh, speaking of shooting, we already need to talk about rule 5. I was shot earlier and I'm not sure by who… they are the ones to blame for Scott getting Bit- if they hadn't created an opening for him to howl, the boys wouldn't have come," Laura commented as Derek tossed the bullet to Chris. "That was why I was adamant about that being a part of the new pact and not just a guideline. There probably isn't much to do about it now, since it was before our meeting but I wanted to bring that to your attention."

"Is that why you had hesitated to kill him? I wasn't able to tell what had happened, just that you had the opening and then he escaped," Victoria asked. "I don't recall Kate shooting in those moments but, I was a little preoccupied, we can't exclude her just based on my recounting."

"No, it was her…" Chris sighed as he showed Victoria the bullet. The bullet was mangled but there was still a very legible K.A. etched into the bottom. All of the Argents loaded their own bullets and Gerard had made their training into a competition from a very early stage. He had them mark their bullets like that so they could be awarded points appropriately for who had gotten the kill. She should have known better than to even risk it but she must have had a reason to take the shot, something she wanted to bring to his attention. "I'll take care of it… it probably won't be pretty but, I'll take care of it."

"At least she was smart enough to aim for my shoulder and not my head," Laura commented dryly. "She can excuse a bad shot to the shoulder but not one to the head."

"She's up to something… I mean we've thought that before but she had to know I'd see her initials. She deliberately took the shot… Hopefully she stops playing games and just comes out with it," Chris muttered.


	16. Showing Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thursday at school. Erica and Boyd eat with the boys, Lydia turns date night into a double date, and Scott has a lot of fun at practice!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erica and Stiles talk a bit about Batman comics, forewarning, I don't know much about the comics soooooo don't hate me if I get some of it wrong. I'm keeping it pretty general, not a lot of details but still, just letting everyone know, I'm in no way an expert XD

*Thursday, School*

"I can't believe our parents let us come to school today," Scott said, jumping out of the jeep. He felt great! Scott was bouncing from foot to foot as he waited on his brothers to get out of the Jeep.

"Well with you miraculously healing, and Isaac being better, we had no reason to stay home. Plus, I'm sure Mom and Dad want some more answers but neither of them can just call into work at the last minute to make a family meeting happen. We're probably going to get grilled tonight at dinner for more information," Stiles said.

Isaac sighed, "But it's not like we know that much more than they do… We're still new to this…"

"Well Mom will probably want to make sure we're okay, and ask how it feels, you know? How does it feel, having a Wolf inside you?" Stiles asked.

Scott deferred to Isaac, since he'd had more time to get acquainted with the feeling.

"I dunno… kinda like a secondary 'voice in the back of my head' thing, only more… instinctive. It… he? Doesn't really have a voice, not like you know, English. But I can understand him a bit better now versus before. He keeps me aware of things I've never been aware of before like…" Isaac looked around and then pointed to some girls by the doors of the school. "Like how they are talking about how they sooooo aren't ready for the pop quiz in math today."

"Let me try!" Scott yipped, looking around. "How do I focus?"

"Not sure, for me it turns on and off on its own still. But looking at who you are trying to listen to helps me kinda focus it. And then you just… listen. Like when you hear someone whispering and you focus on trying to pick out what they are saying. Same thing, even though under normal circumstances, you'd have no chance of hearing them."

"Okay, let's see if I can do it."

They stood there and watched as Scott looked over at a group of friends, eyes scanning their lip movements as he focused. "Dude, I can totally hear them! They are talking about how… oh um…"

Stiles nudged his brother, "Um…?"

"Something private," Scott mumbled, looking away.

"You would overhear something private," Stiles laughed, throwing an arm over his shoulders. "Let's just head inside."

"Oh, here, your turn to wear these," Isaac said, holding out the ear plugs. "Trust me, with your hearing turning on and off randomly, you're gonna want them."

"You don't need them today?"

Isaac shook his head, "Naw, I feel like I have more control now. Some things might get loud but, I know you're going to need them more."

Scott had just finished putting them in when the warning bell went off and he jumped, "Yea… definitely glad I have these…"

*First Period English 2*

"Hey Allison, I have work tonight, but I managed to talk Deaton into giving me a double shift on Saturday… Maybe we can go out tomorrow night? On date number two?"

Allison smiled, "Yea that sounds good. Good thing too, Saturday is busy for me, since my Aunt is in town, that's the night we're doing dinner."

"Oh, your aunt is in town?" Scott asked. He was too distracted by Allison to realize what that meant but Stiles and Isaac both tensed up.

"Yea she showed up on Sunday, just out of the blue, a surprise visit! It's been years since I've seen her so it's nice to catch up with her."

Isaac looked at Stiles while Allison quickly explained a bit about her Aunt. Laura had told them that the Argents were trustworthy- Chris and Victoria had been at the meeting last night. But they'd heard nothing about her Aunt… Stiles had been observant enough though, he could see all the underlying tension between Laura and Chris. He'd seen the upset look on Derek's face when they were going over the pact. The Argents were all Hunters and maybe her aunt had come to help out… but she must not be as trustworthy as Allison's parents or else she'd be welcome at all the chats right? Ugh, maybe he should just ask Laura what's up with that. Besides, the Rogue was taken care of so why would she be hanging around. He pulled out his phone to text her but Scott had turned to mouth something to his brothers, being excited about date number 2.

"Scott!" Stiles whispered, giving him a pointed look- his eyes were glowing. Judging by Allison's reaction, she hadn't seen but, well if anyone at all looked over here…

Scott tilted his head, wondering why Stiles was making such a big deal about whispering in class… they did it all the time! But then Stiles pointed to his eyes and then to Scott, oh gosh were his eyes glowing? Why were they glowing? He wasn't mad about anything!

Isaac leaned over and pulled Scott closer, pressing their foreheads together, hoping his presence would center him. Luckily most of the class was used to the brothers being close so they didn't comment on the closeness randomly taking place at the beginning of class.

Just as he was starting to feel a little more centered, Scott took a deep breath and felt his heart start racing again. It was Allison, her scent! He was too excited about the date coming up, about spending more time with her and he couldn't calm down. He pulled away from Isaac and slumped down in his seat, covering his head with one hand, eyes downcast. "I'll be fine, I'll just be careful," he whispered, not wanting them to get in trouble for talking.

Stiles frowned but looked around and saw that no one was paying them any attention… it would have to do for now. Obviously Scott wasn't angry about something so it was some other emotion that was setting him off. And given that he was literally just talking to Allison about their second date when it happened… it wasn't really that hard for Stiles to put two and two together. Scott would need to get his hormones under control or Laura was going to be mad at them. Laura! That's right, he was going to ask her about something.

_S: Hey Laura, any word on Allison's aunt? She's going to be around until Sunday at least_  
_L: How do you know that? And Kate is dangerous, stay away from her! Chris is going to try and keep your brothers' identities a secret._  
_S: She's dangerous?! I… uh oh… Allison just invited Scott to dinner on Sunday, Saturday they're doing this family thing but Sunday she wants Scott to meet her…What if she finds out about Scott?_  
_L: Are you serious? Of course he's invited to meet her… how lucky… See if he can get out of it, I mean Chris and Victoria can only do so much to protect him and if she figures out that he's a Were… he doesn't have control yet… she'll tell her father and then everything will go to Hell in a hand basket_  
_S: oh geez… um, yea, we'll come up with something…_

With that, he carefully slid his phone back into pocket and started taking notes. He wasn't going to let Scott become the victim of some crazy aunt, even if he was in love with Allison. But he wasn't sure how to bring it up either… Scott would pout if he was told he had to cancel plans with Allison.

*Second Period World History*

"Man, is it the weekend yet?" Boyd complained good-naturedly. He usually worked during the week and had the weekends off so he could be with his sister while their mom worked her second job.

"Not like the weekend it going to be full of fun, weekends almost always mean that teachers give more homework since we have more nights to work on it…" Erica complained.

Isaac nodded his head in agreement, the weekend was going to be stressful for him too but for a completely different reason than homework. Both him and Stiles had stiffened when Allison had suggested that Scott come over for Sunday dinner so he could meet Aunt Kate. He'd seen Stiles with his phone so hopefully that meant he'd gotten in touch with Laura at least. They'd be seeing her after practice anyways and could talk about it more then. He busied himself with taking notes, letting all the facts about Zimbabwe fill his head so he didn't have to think about anything else. But suddenly an urgent feeling pulled at his attention, Isaac could feel his Wolf getting frantic. There was a scent in the air, one that filled him with unease and anxiety, but he couldn't place it… As he looked around the class, he zeroed in on Erica and it snapped into place, she was going to have a seizure. Just as Erica's eyes widened just a smidgen, and she licked her lips with the slightest of frowns, Isaac bolted from his seat.

Erica held in a whimper as she got that familiar taste in her mouth, had been about to raise her hand when suddenly she felt herself get pulled out of the seat and rushed to the front of the room.

"Emergency!" Isaac called out before yanking the door open and leading her into the hallway. He knew that he couldn't take her to the bathroom, he'd get in trouble for going in most likely, and he didn't have enough time to get to the nurse's office, not when they were on the third floor.

"Isaac?"

"Here, lay down," Isaac told her, squatting on the floor.

Just then, the teacher opened the door, curious as to what exactly was going on, but he Erica on the floor, "I'll call the nurse."

"Don't leave me…" Erica whispered as she felt her limbs start to twitch.

"You'll be fine, I'm right here," Isaac answered, hands cradling her head. He even managed to hold in his whimper as Erica lost control of her body. Softly he held her cheek, wishing there was something he could do. As the tremors softened, became less severe, Isaac blinked in surprise as he noticed black marks running up his hand, biting his lip as he felt the smallest of aches settle over his body. But he noticed, as the ache in his body increased, Erica seemed to relax a bit. Moments passed before she finally spoke though, taking time to orient herself.

"That one must not have been so bad… I don't feel quite as achy," Erica said softly, still taking a minute to sit up.

"Achy?"

She nodded, looking down at her hands, "It's different for everyone but my muscles just get really tight as I lose control and since I still move… It's like having your muscles fully tensed but at the same time they are moving. It's not comfortable at all."

"Oh, I see. That sounds awful… Let's get you to the nurse okay? I'll get your bag real quick."

"No… I'm feeling okay, I'll probably be back before class is over. Just… help me down the stairs?" she asked, feeling a little pitiful. She turned red as Isaac just scooped her up and started carrying her towards the stairs. "I-I can walk Isaac, it's okay."

"Don't worry about it," he told her, hurrying down to the first floor, really she seemed to weigh nothing at all. Thankfully the nurse already had the door open so he was able walk right in and set her down on a cot.

"Oh my Erica, are you okay? How did your doctor's appointment go?" the nurse asked.

"I'm fine, Isaac was with me and got me out of class so I didn't fall on anything, he actually got me on the floor before it got really bad."

Isaac hugged her, "I'm just glad I was able to help… did you want me to stay with you?"

Erica smiled but shook her head, "No, I just have to answer a bunch of questions, make sure I'm okay and then I'll be going back to class. Thank you… and… don't tell Stiles… I was um…" her voice got soft, "I was hoping to sit with you guys today."

"Awesome! I won't tell, you know I won't. I'll see you back in class, I'm sure Boyd's been taking good notes."

The nurse gave him a note and he hurried back to World History, giving Boyd a reassuring nod, "She said she'd be back before class is over, felt like it wasn't bad compared to her other seizures."

Boyd nodded in return, feeling at least a little reassured. He felt awful though, Erica seemed like she was getting worse, fast. He'd been waiting with her at the doctor's office and she'd come out looking less than hopeful. More pills, new pills, hope that they'd help but no immediate relief of course. Now he hoped that the new pills would start working soon.

*Lunch*

Stiles smiled at Erica as they left Chemistry, "Still coming, right?"

"Yea totally, let me go meet up with Boyd, we usually change out books before we eat, easier that way."

"No rush to get there after you finish eating and everything, smart. We'll meet you by the doors."

Erica smiled and nodded, turning away to find Boyd. But he was already heading her way, a knowing smile on his face.

"You ready for this?" he asked, leading them to the lockers.

"Not really, oh man I'm totally going to embarrass myself… but, I already told Stiles I was going to be there… Please, just… stop me from saying anything really stupid, 'k?"

"And how am I supposed to know when something 'stupid' is going to be coming out?" he joked.

Erica lightly smacked him on the arm, "You're supposed to be my friend!"

"Don't worry, I've got your back, but I mean… Stiles puts his foot in his mouth all the time, if Isaac's stories are to be trusted. Don't worry about it, you'll be fine. Come on, let's go."

The pair easily found the boys standing by the door, the five of them hopping in line. Erica was mostly content to stand back and listen to Stiles complain some more about Harris and how on lab days, he wasn't allowed to touch anything.

"To be fair, you did make a huge mess last semester, with the foam," Erica pointed out.

Stiles gaped at her, "But it was awesome, wasn't it? 'To be fair'… the reaction hadn't been that big when I'd done it at home… How was I supposed to know?"

"I told you not to do it," Scott frowned. "Messing around in chemistry is dangerous, what if that foam had been toxic?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't have done it if it was dangerous," Erica commented. "Stiles likes to mess around but he doesn't want to hurt anyone, right?"

"Yea, see, Erica understands! Maybe I should be partners with her next time… not that Harris will let me handle the chemicals anyways…"

Erica tried not to blush, thankful that they were heading to a table now, Stiles already moving on to the next topic. Boyd nudged her and chuckled quietly, noticing her light flush of course. As they all plopped down, Isaac and Boyd strategically leaving Stiles's left side open for her, suddenly Allison, Lydia, Jackson, and Danny joined them. This was unexpected and Erica wasn't really sure how to deal… But Boyd was still by her side so she'd survive this.

"L-Lydia? Jackson? Danny, what are they doing here?" Stiles asked, knowing that Danny would be the only one to actually respond, since they were tablemates in Chem.

Allison was the one that answered though, looking happy at first, but then realizing that maybe this wasn't a good idea. "I told Lydia that I wanted to eat with Scott today and of course she said that she wanted to come with me. Which meant Jackson and Danny came too."

"Allison also told me that you're going on a date tomorrow evening, and of course, I figured why not turn it into a double date?" Lydia cut in before taking a bite of her salad.

Scott dropped his fork, "A… a double date? With you and Jackson?"

"Well, obviously," Lydia scolded him with a flip of her hair.

Allison had an apologetic look on her face, "It'll be fun, right?"

"Um, yea, sure…" Scott mumbled, turning pale. A double date with Lydia and Jackson? Oh man, this was going to be so bad!

"Yea, I think we should go bowling, that's always fun to do in groups," Lydia told them.

Jackson groaned loudly and fixed Lydia with a stare, "I can't believe we're doing this… Stilinski is such a- oW!" He was cut off suddenly as Lydia stomped on his foot- it was rude to call her new boyfriend a loser right in front of her. "I just, bowling is lame, Scott sucks at it!"

"How would you know?!"

"Class trip to the bowling alley in the third grade, that's how," Jackson reminded him dryly.

"I've gotten way better since then!" Scott shot back.

Stiles didn't want to get sucked into the conversation, or get into a fight with Jackson, thus embarrassing himself in front of Lydia, so he turned to Erica. "Okay so, do you like Batman? I noticed the other day that you had on a shirt, and that it was the comic version of him, not one of the movie versions- don't get me wrong, the movies are cool, I just like the comics better."

"I-"

"Oh yea, she's a total nerd when it comes to Batman," Boyd cut in, before Erica could downplay her interest. Boyd knew that Stiles was an avid fan of all things comic, Isaac had shown him their extensive collection before, saying that most of it was Stiles's. Erica turned and was about to hit him again when Stiles grabbed her shoulder.

"Have you read the ones about Harley too? Honestly, she's one of my faves, even though she's supposed to be a villain, she rocks! And I like that Batman is kinda nice to her, despite that she's the one that has actually come super close to killing him and not the Joker."

"Harley is actually the reason I got into Batman in the first place… I overheard these guys talking about her and she sounded really badass. I mean Batman is still pretty awesome, although really, he needs to get off his high horse and actually kill some of those villains. They are super dangerous and he just lets them roam around Gotham all the time? Obviously the prison system can't handle them, or Arkham, they just need to be put down," Erica spouted out, realizing only afterwards that she sounded like a huge nerd.

"Thank you!" Stiles threw an arm over her shoulder and pointed to Isaac, "Finally, someone that understands!"

Isaac rolled his eyes, torn between listening to Scott dig himself a huge hole about his bowling skills, and watching Erica finally talk with Stiles. "The whole thing about being a superhero is that you're supposed to be better than the villains, you know, justice?"

"Technically, by G.C.P.D.'s standards, Batman is just a vigilante, and that means he could kill if he wanted to, he just doesn't have the stomach to do it. The comics would be a lot more intense if he actually killed someone. But I mean, yea, he doesn't want to stoop to the bad guys' level, he want to be the hero to Gotham," Erica said, on the fence. Realistically, if there were supervillains out in the world like the Joker and Killer Croc, she'd hope that someone would step up and wipe them out instead of trying to rehabilitate them when it obviously didn't work for them. But, that's what made Batman, Batman. It was just a comic after all, an ideal. She was so happy to share her theories with Stiles that she didn't even have time to blush when his arm stayed over her shoulders throughout most of lunch.

When they all got up to leave, Stiles realized that he’d been hugging her the whole time- did she think that was weird? He was just so used to hanging on his brothers that he didn’t think about it at all. “Um, thanks for coming, I know it was totally unplanned but you gave me an escape from having to listen to Jackson all throughout lunch.”

"Yea, it was totally unexpected but, it was nice," Erica told him. Secretly she'd been so relieved that he'd even noticed she was there. Everyone knew about his crush on Lydia and today she'd actually sat at the same table as him- she thought for sure she'd be ignored as he tried to impress the redhead. But Stiles had totally made an effort to include her and Boyd in the conversations, only occasionally jumping in on Scott's conversation with Jackson and Allison.

"Nice enough that you'd join us again?"

"Yea, of course."

Stiles grinned, "Hey, I'll bring you something tomorrow, I think you'll get a kick out of it." With that he waved to her and Boyd, trailing behind his brothers as they went to class.

"Oooo, hear that, he's bringing you something," Boyd chuckled, loving the red face Erica had. He laughed as she slapped at his chest, totally embarrassed.

*Fifth Period Algebra 2(B)*

The boys waved to Scott as he turned to go into his class; Isaac was thankful that Scott didn't have any classes with Dylan… he'd probably push Scott too far and make him shift. Hell, Isaac wasn't even really sure he'd be able to stay calm today but he did have slightly more experience than Scott right now. He felt pretty confident until Ran took her place to his left- how was she going to act? Dylan was an issue because he was mad and was trying to get even with Isaac- Ran actually knew about his secret. But she just smiled at the two brothers and took out her stuff.

"Psst, Ran," Stiles whispered, Signing a series of questions real quick before the final bell rang. It was nice that they could talk like this, he could mention important secrets and no one would really know what they were talking about!

Isaac was only able to catch some of it, like asking if she was okay and if she'd told anyone. He didn't know enough ASL to keep up with Ran's answers though; Stiles seemed relieved and not worried so that must have been a good thing. If Ran was okay with all of this, Isaac felt like he could handle the rest of the period. Knowing that he hadn't lost a potential friend (and one that he'd only just made) helped him to relax.

It wasn't until the end of class that Isaac realized things had gone way too smoothly. Mrs. Duff called him to the front of the class as everyone else started packing up. Dylan had skipped today? That wasn't like him at all, but hell, if it made Isaac's life easier, he could skip for the rest of the year!

"I'm to inform you that Mr. Moore has transferred out of this class, at Coach Finstock's request. I hope there will be no more problems for you in my classroom, understood?"

"Yes, of course," Isaac said, dumbfounded for a moment.

"That is all, you are excused."

"Oh, right." Isaac turned, but he saw that Stiles had already packed his bag for him and was waiting for him by the door.

"What'd she say? I don't have wolf-y hearing."

"Dylan isn't in our class anymore, Coach had his schedule rearranged. I guess after the detention issue… Coach realized that Dylan needed some space. I hope he actually cools off though, instead of getting even more pissed off… What about Ran?"

"Yea, Dylan might not really be too happy that he was required to change his classes around over this but… only one way to find out. And I just asked Ran if she was okay with everything, you know, it's kinda big news to handle. I promised that we were taking care of it and that after having a day off, you felt a lot better. She asked if it was hard for you to stay in control, concerned about Dylan as well, but I said that you've been working on it."

"Wow, you guys talked about all of that? And she was concerned about Dylan for me?"

"Of course dude, she knows that you're still you, and that Dylan is a major control issue for you. She isn't going to blame you for losing control when Dylan was clearly doing his best to make you mad. And ASL is a very efficient language. A lot of unnecessary words are cut out. Although, there are also a lot of words that don't have Signs, you use compound words. Like, randomly… there isn't a Sign for stable, so you just use 'horse-house'," Stiles explained.

"Random fact of the day, but I see. You both Sign a lot faster than I can keep up with though. I'm just glad Dylan won't be in class anymore to mess with us."

Stiles nodded in agreement, patting Isaac's shoulder before they spilt ways, "Yea, and here's hoping he behaves at practice too!"

*Fifth Period Biology*

Boyd was leaving Spanish class when he looked and saw Allison heading towards the stairs from French; he rushed to catch up with her. "Hey, I didn't get a chance to say anything earlier but-"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I totally didn't realize that you guys were going to be sitting with the boys today… I totally encroached didn't I? I didn't mess things up right?" Allison cut in. She'd been feeling guilty about that, on top of feeling bad about her new double date with Scott tomorrow. She could tell by the look on his face at lunch that he wasn't looking forward to it… and she couldn't blame him! Jackson was rude to Scott all the time, she'd seen it all during practice. And Lydia wanted to turn it into a double date? Her friend had to know that it was a bad idea…

"No, no, that wasn't what I was going to say at all," Boyd assured her. Allison was definitely a kind-spirited girl, always worried about messing up. Surprising since she was friends with Lydia but, he knew better than to judge based on first appearances. As they walked into Bio, and saw that they were still going to be doing the study partner thing, the two of them sat together. "I was honestly going to thank you, you really worked fast. Stiles had asked Erica if she wanted to sit with them the other day- so whatever you said must have worked."

"Oh… I um… I never got the chance to talk to Stiles actually. We discussed the Stiles thing on Tuesday, but Stiles wasn't at practice, then they stayed home Wednesday. So Stiles must have stepped up all on his own- maybe he isn't as dense as everyone thought," Allison commented lightly, smiling. It had surprised her to see Boyd and Erica at the lunch table with them, and she'd just thought that maybe Boyd had finally talked her into making a move. She told him as much.

Boyd shook his head, "Oh no, there's no way I'd ever be able to talk her into something like that. It was all Stiles." He went on to tell her about how, according to Erica, he'd made the suggestion after dropping her off at home on Wednesday.

"Now… we just have to wait for him to actually ask her out on a date, how long do you think that'll take?" Allison laughed.

"Maybe you can help push him, just to make sure he gets the hint. Knowing Stiles he'd be too unsure that she'd say yes to even ask."

"Too bad they aren't dating… I'd totally go on a double date with them, Friday is going to be a disaster isn't it?"

"Maybe not…. Okay yea probably. Jackson is an ass."

Allison sighed, "Why couldn't I have turned Lydia's idea down… I was so nervous I just accepted it."

"Don't worry about it, Lydia at least seems to be okay with you and Scott dating, she was just trying to be inclusive I'm sure, not trying to sabotage. She'll probably keep Jackson busy. Try to have fun."

"Yea, try being the key word. I could always just feign a headache if it starts to go bad, Scott and I have a dinner thing on Sunday as well to make up for it."

Boyd laughed, Scott and Allison definitely seemed to be moving fast, two dates within a few nights of each other? But that was good, that meant they were really hitting it off. Now if Erica and Stiles could just learn something from them, it would be great.

The two of them continued to chat while they started studying the list of bones again, it was nice, like they were becoming friends. And since she was hopefully going to be dating Scott, it was good that their friendship circles were starting to intertwine.

*Practice*

"Alright, line up boys, offensive drills, starting now!" Coach yelled out, punctuating it with a shrill blast of the whistle. Scott and Isaac weren't the only two to flinch at the sound.

"Alright, let's see what I've got," Scott murmured to himself, first in line. Jackson and Adam were acting as the defenders with Danny in goal. The perfect group to be up against if Scott really wanted to test his new abilities. He twirled his crosse, ball nestled in the net, taking off suddenly. He heard a few surprised whispers at his speed and smiled to himself- Isaac had not done his new skills justice! He must have been holding back, afraid of the Wolf. But Scott didn't feel remotely threatened right now, he was in total control. As Adam came up block him, Scott whirled around his left, leaving the other boy looking around in confusion. Then there was Jackson, looming in front of him; he was ready for any type of evasive maneuver that Scott might try so instead, Scott jumped. A loud whoop was heard as Scott flipped over the top of Jackson; then, even as he was spinning in the air, Scott launched the ball at the net. Danny didn't stand a chance and the ball soared right by his head.

"Stilinski, what the hell was that?!" Finstock yelled, shocked.

"Just been practicing really hard, I wanna get off the bench this year Coach!" Scott answered with a shrug, jogging to the back of the line. All the other boys were just staring at him, not really sure if they'd hallucinated or if that had really happened.

"Dude, might want to pull it back just a bit," Stiles whispered furiously. "I'm glad you are good at the sport now but ummm, try not to pull too much attention to yourself?"

"Why not? Andrew is still on the bench and Coach needs to fill that spot, with Isaac and I both on the field, the other teams don't stand a chance!"

"Speaking of…" Stiles looked towards the front as Isaac was now defending, taking Jackson's spot so the captain could run the drill. Both brothers watched as Jackson cleared Adam and made a beeline for Isaac. Usually, Jackson was able to bully his way through the defense, he was bulky enough to knock his way through while still being lithe enough to have a lot of speed. And Isaac was a very lanky player… But Isaac stood his ground, knowing exactly what Jackson was going to try to do. He had to hold in his laugh as Jackson let out a very surprised 'umph' and fell back on his ass. Then he scooped up the loose ball and tossed it to the next player in the lineup.

"Sorry Jackson, better luck next time."

Jackson scowled and looked between the Stilinski brothers, wondering just what the hell was going on.

After Scott couldn't manage to hold in his skills for the next 3 drills, Coach put him in the goal, wanting to see if he'd improved in that area as well. Isaac volunteered to throw first.

"Let's see who is better, shall we?" Isaac smirked. He'd felt bad, using his Were strength against Danny, knowing that the goalie was Human and could only move so fast. Isaac was already used to being first string, so he hadn't needed to borrow on the Wolf's strength in order to improve much (although he had used some when standing his ground against Jackson, but it was funny). He was actually wanted to rein it in until they were playing against other teams… but Scott, he was a Were too- and his brother, so he knew there wouldn't be any hard feelings.

"Bring it bro!" Scott laughed. He was totally going to get owned! But, this was good. If the other players saw him getting scored on, they'd have some hope and then he'd show them up. Plus, it would show Coach that Isaac has been holding back as well, and has gotten a lot better all of a sudden as well!

Isaac lined up five balls, waiting for the whistle; he was just going to rapid fire them. No point in putting flair on it since it was a one-on-one scenario. Coach wanted to see speed in this drill, from both players. As soon as the whistle went off, Isaac loosened his control, stopping it just as he felt his eyes tingle; even if Scott was the only one that could see his eyes right now, he'd rather not push it. Besides, that was more than enough Wolf enhancement to get the job done. In a blur, all five balls were in the air, 4 of them hitting their mark. The last one had bounced off of the bottom of Scott's crosse as he flailed to try and catch the fourth one.

"I blocked one!"

"On accident!" Isaac laughed.

Danny blinked, "Dude… I don't think I would have even had time to react… how... was that really all 5?"

"Accident or not, I managed to block one!" Scott teased, surprised at Isaac's speed. That was the difference a week could make, even if Isaac didn't have much more knowledge than Scott, he still just had that head start in getting acquainted with his inner Wolf.

"Looks like Scott is going to be a crappy goalie then," Jackson sneered, stepping up and arranging five balls in front of him.

Isaac shook his head, amazed at Jackson's thick-headedness- did he not see how fast he'd thrown those? Fine, whatever, it would be that much more satisfying when he failed to score.

Both brothers were still ramped up so when Jackson started throwing, it was like watching something in slow motion. Isaac could read all of the captain's movements, knowing exactly which flourish he was putting on the balls before he threw them. Scott wasn't as aware of Jackson's style but he had the reflexes to make up for it, not a single ball got past him. The team cheered, excited; Jackson looked like he was about to get in Scott's face when Coach blew the whistle, signaling the next player.

"Alright, does this mean I might get some playtime Coach?" Danny asked. Their backup goalie was Max and he wasn't bad but he still wasn't nearly as good as Danny was. So Coach was always hesitant to put Danny on the field, even though Danny was also a very strong midfielder.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Mahealani, let's see how he holds up after more than just two players." But everyone could see that he was scribbling furiously on his clipboard and looking Scott over. "Isaac, I better see more of that kind of speed in the upcoming games!"

"Of course Coach, I was just trying to give Danny a break is all."

"Heh, thanks. You might have broken my spirit if you were lobbing balls like that at me this whole time."

Stiles just sighed, amazed at his brother's antics… he'd never seen them so 'in the zone' before, it was pretty amazing. And he was managing to stay at the back of the group, not really wanting to go up against Scott… if he was lucky his throws wouldn't go horribly wide. Better to not waste everyone's time and just not go at all. He'd happily let Isaac and Scott steal the limelight, he worked better from the shadows after all.

By the time they'd finished with the drills and were running laps, Scott and Isaac were racing around the field. Scotty was really pushing it, an asthmatic really shouldn't be running like that- everyone was going to notice! But Stiles could tell by the look in their eyes that they were in a completely playful mood, almost like puppies if he were being honest. And when they finished their last lap (with Isaac in the lead) Scott leapt and jumped on his back, tackling him to the ground.

"Come on children, shower time," Stiles wheezed, hoping that Coach didn't notice he cut a lap off his circuit. "We've got somewhere to be, remember?"

"Oh, right!" Scott exclaimed, jumping off Isaac and rushing to the showers.

After they all washed off and dressed in regular clothes, the boys all piled into the Jeep, Stiles the only one absolutely exhausted from practice. "You know, it's not really fair that I'm the only one that's going to suck at the sport now…"

"But you have two brothers to practice with, you'll get a lot better with us helping you," Scott assured him, full of sunshine after his awesome practice.

"No, you have supernatural reflexes now… no amount of practice is going to help me get as good as the two of you. I just don't have what it takes. But it's fine, I know how to cheer with the best of them, I really don't mind at all. My skills and time are better spent learning more about control and being an Anchor for you two anyways. Let's go see Laura, speaking of, she's probably been expecting us."

Scott bounced around in the backseat, eager to learn more about being a Werewolf; he didn't really know much since Isaac didn't really have time to learn the last week so this was going to be an experience. As they pulled up to the old, destroyed house, Scott started to feel nervous, what if he sucked at this? Laura wouldn't kick him out of the Pack, he knew that much but… still it would suck to suck. He didn't want his Alpha to be disappointed in him.

"So how was practice?" Laura asked, already sitting out front waiting for them.

"Scott probably gave his secret away already, he totally rocked at practice today, and he didn't use his inhaler," Stiles called out.

"I was just so excited! No one asked me if I was supernatural or anything, and Coach was really, really proud of me!"

Laura laughed even though Derek scowled, "It's fine Scott. Although you have to be careful if you get hurt on the field; either make sure no one knows how serious it is so you can heal quickly, or you'll have to fake it and pretend to be hurt for the rest of the night."

Isaac smiled and nudged Scott, "That's something I never have to worry about. I never get hurt, unlike you."

"I just trip over my feet a lot! That shouldn't be a problem for me now though," Scott defended, crossing his arms.

"Oh my gosh, it's like nothing has changed," Cora giggled, looking between the three boys. This was exactly how she remembered them, teasing each other and laughing.

Derek sighed, "Just please be careful, like Laura said. Especially if this thing between you and Allison gets more serious, that means her parents are going to start going to the games. And if… Kate stays in town even longer, then that means she'll be going to the games too. She has a very sharp mind, so you can't even let on a bit that you are a Were now."

The boys all sobered up, nodding in understanding. Scott cleared his throat, "Stiles told me about Kate and how dangerous she is… I don't think I can get out of the dinner though, not without being rude. And if Kate is even half as interested in Allison's life as she is with hunting, she'll really push to meet me at some point. Might as well get it over with. But that means I need to start learning control, like immediately… I won't be able to bring Stiles with me to dinner…"

"Yea, he did kinda lose it a bit in class today, but not from anger or anything," Stiles recalled.

"It was Allison… just her scent. I was all excited about going on a second date, like having it set and everything, and her scent was spiking my emotions. I figured out what it was pretty fast, and that's why I just slouched in my seat, I knew it wasn't going to go away any time soon so I just had to ride it out."

"Oh wow, you do have it bad," Laura commented, laughter in her eyes. "But that's what today is for, going over rules and learning about control. Stiles is your Anchor, so in any physical situation, when Stiles is near you, you should be able to just calm down. But what about when Stiles isn't there?"

"Like that night of the full moon, before I really knew what an Anchor was?" Isaac asked.

"Exactly, yes, you had to focus on something that would calm you. It takes control, brain power. You have to be able to clear the fog away and realize that the Wolf is gaining control."

Cora rushed up behind Isaac and kicked his feet out from under him, pulling on his shoulder so he slammed his back onto the ground. Isaac snarled in surprise but didn't spring to his feet right away, fangs and claws not coming out. Scott on the other hand, stepped forward, eyes narrowed and claws ready, glaring at Cora.

"What was that for?!" he demanded to know, moving Stiles behind him. Cora was his Packmate, so he wasn't in a blind rage over the attack, but he was still mad since Isaac was his brother and they had a strong bond.

"Control Scott… It was supposed to just test me I'm sure, by catching me off guard. But apparently it also set you off," Isaac told him, standing up and brushing himself off.

Laura nodded, "That's exactly right. Isaac has had a bit more practice with his Wolf whereas Scott, yours is very new to you. From the sounds of it though, you did fairly well in school since nothing happened to set you off. Now you know, you have to be extra cautious when it comes to your brothers."

Scott nodded, "Sorry Cora."

"It's fine, there's probably going to be a lot more later. We've got to get you ready for anything. No one can know that you're both Wolves now."

"What about Ran?" Stiles asked. "She didn't freak out, and this was before the fight with the Rogue so we didn't know what we could and couldn't tell her. She doesn't know who you are, we didn't say names, but she knows that someone else in Beacon Hills is helping Isaac learn control. We didn't tell her about Scott though… kinda feels weird keeping it from her though, since she knows about one of us…"

"We can't help that Ran knows, but it's good that she's willing to keep quiet about it. Since she knows the truth, I don't see why it would matter if you told her about Scott as well. Just make sure that when you do tell her, no one is around eavesdropping. Other than Ran, please try to keep it all a secret, not everyone is so understanding, even if you think they might be."

Isaac paused at her words… he had only, just briefly, thought about telling Erica and Boyd. He'd stopped himself though, feeling unsure of how they'd react; it was doubtful that they'd try and attack him, or think he was a monster, but they might stop talking to him… think he was too much of a freak to hang around suddenly. And now Laura was pretty much telling him that he couldn't reveal his secret, so it eased his mind. At least now, if they ever did find out on accident, he'd be able to tell them that he was supposed to keep it a secret- his Alpha said so. Still, it felt really weird, not telling them something that was turning into a huge part of his life now. Hell, today they'd finally caved and ate lunch with them today! And now that they were all becoming friends, they had to keep a secret… The truth was though, he had no idea how they might react, and it wasn't a risk worth taking. If Scott could keep the secret from his potential girlfriend that he was absolutely smitten with, he could keep it from his friends.

"So, let's work on control- without Stiles," Laura commanded them. Derek took Scott and moved them a few feet away while Cora did the same with Isaac. The two experienced Betas were going to be riling up the newbies and forcing them to learn control without Stiles being right by their side to act as their physical Anchor.

Which meant that Stiles was free to bother the Alpha as they watched over the training; he sat on the porch next to her, watching as his brothers let their inner Wolves take control. "Hey Laura…"

"Yea?"

"What are we going to do if Kate doesn't leave after this weekend? I mean, I noticed how tense everything was when Mr. Argent was here last night. And Derek… he can barely say her name. I'm not going to pry, even though the detective part of me wants to but… even I can see that her being here at all is a huge problem."

Laura eyed the teen next to her, grateful that he was willing to let it go without an explanation. It was a very complicated topic, and not one she wanted to go over with him right now. "I really don't know. I can't worry about her too much. My main focus is you guys, getting you acclimated to your new life as members of a Wolf Pack. I am concerned about the dinner over the weekend, just because… that's a few days away, I have no idea if Scott is going to be ready by then… I don't know if even Isaac would be ready by then and he's had a few extra weeks to acclimate. The Argents… they are going to push hard- not because he's a Were, just because he's a boy interested in their only daughter. And Kate is going to push just as hard. Scott is bound to be very nervous which is going to put him in the iffy zone of control. Chris and Victoria… they might go easy on him, knowing that it's dangerous to push too hard in front of her but, then Kate might wonder why they are giving him a break. There are too many unknowns of what could happen."

"Should I give him one of my shirts to wear? No… he wouldn't really fit right in my shirts anymore, he's a little thicker than I am. Maybe my watch or something?"

"That's a good idea to try, it can't hurt at least," Laura agreed. "If you sleep with it the night before, it should have a strong enough scent. That way even just having his wrist up by his face would be enough, he wouldn't actually need to sniff it and try to be sneaky about it."

Stiles nodded, "Okay, we can try that. I hope it's enough though, he's got the date tomorrow night, which has turned into a double date with Jackson and Lydia… man I don't envy him at all!"

"Jackson? Isn't he the kid that has been tormenting you guys? I remember you boys all complaining about how he had all the nice toys he'd bring to school and would rub it in your face."

"Yea, that's the one. He's an even bigger ass now than he was back then, lacrosse captain too-"

"Lydia, why is that name familiar?" Laura cut in.

"That's the redhead he would wax poetic about every afternoon when he came home," Isaac called out. The only reason he'd heard was because he and Cora were taking a short break, Derek and Scott were still growling at each other as Scott tried to gain control.

"Lydia ended up dating Jackson? Ouch, how upset were you when that happened?" Cora asked. Since she was only a few years older than the boys, she'd heard plenty of gossip around school to know that Lydia was considered very pretty, and that Jackson was the spoiled jock kid. Stiles's crush had been absolutely legendary, as well as his hatred for the Whittemore kid.

Stiles scowled in her general direction, "Lydia deserves the best and Jackson… as much as I hate to admit it, has a lot to offer. He's good looking, he's team captain for _two_ of our teams, he's got money, and he's got decent grades. Of course nothing can compare to Lydia's grades but, she's a genius. He's a total dick though, he doesn't appreciate her and I wish she'd see that."

"And you'd be able to offer her that right?" Derek chuckled, finally giving Scott a breather.

"I would appreciate her!" Stiles mumbled defensively, turning red. "I get decent enough grades, when I focus… I'd never be captain of a team though… or any of the other stuff…"

Scott whined, "Don't sell yourself short Stiles, you have plenty to offer-"

"When did this turn into a meeting about my poor love life, get back to working on your control, all of you," Stiles yelled, turning away from all of them.

Derek was the only one to bristle as Stiles's tone but Laura waved him off. "Don't let it get to you, you've been fawning over Lydia for years, but you don't really love her, you know that right? You'll find someone that appreciates everything you have to offer, someone you won't have to try hard with."

"Yea I know… Lydia didn't even look at me during lunch today, she only sat with us because Allison did. It was like I was invisible to her… I just want… after all this time, for her to at least acknowledge my existence you know? She's way too classy'a lady for me, we'd never work out long term- I know that, I do. But… we've been in the same classes since the third grade and she doesn't even know who I am… At least Jackson knows my name…"

Laura pulled him into a one-armed hug, "Like I said, don't even worry about it. Lydia will probably graduate high school and go onto to achieve big things, leaving Jackson in the dust. And you'll find someone that you think is absolutely amazing, and not just because of their looks."

Stiles had been about to defend Lydia, saying that she was brilliant too, and that she could afford to be shallow, but he realized that other than his knowledge of her actual IQ, he didn't know anything about Lydia. Then his mind wandered to Erica, and how they'd talked about Batman for most of lunch- she had actually known a lot about Batman, like from the comics and stuff, not just the movies like Scott and Isaac. He smiled as he thought about how intense she got when he brought up Harley. Erica was actually pretty cool.

The boys didn't stay too long, knowing that they had a lot of homework to do, so they excused themselves and went home, Laura giving each of them a hug.

"Do you really think he'll be okay?" Derek asked, afraid for his youngest Packmate. Kate was sly and used to getting her way, if she sensed that Scott had any secrets, she wouldn't stop until she'd figured them out.

"I'm going to message Chris and make sure that he tries to rein his sister in as much as he can while still acting like Allison father. He's a professional, I know he'd be able to look at Scott as a father figure and not as a Hunter on Sunday, but Kate looks at everyone like they have a secret to hide. To make matters worse… She knows that there was a Beta that responded to the Rogue's call. I have no idea what Chris has told her about that yet…"

*Argent House*

"Dammit Chris, why are you being so secretive- we're family, we don't keep secrets!" Kate yelled, slamming her hand down on the reloading bench.

Chris had to bite his tongue, immediately thinking of bringing up the fire again but he knew better. "I'm not being secretive, I'm just telling you what you need to know. I've already talked with Laura, it's taken care of!"

"But who was the Beta? How do we know they're not going to want revenge? Omegas are dangerous. I know she gave you a name, so tell me and I'll look into it."

"I'm the one in charge of Beacon Hills, I don't need you to look into anything Kate. I thought you were leaving soon anyways, why do you care about some Beta?"

"I care because you aren't being open with me… you haven't even told me about those two unknowns that ran into the trainyard. Did they see anything, do they need to be taken care of? Were they monsters too?"

"I did tell you about them, they were just two boys out for a drive and they saw that the gate was open, couldn't resist sneaking in." Chris said a silent prayer that in all the commotion, Kate hadn't heard any of the names that had been called out. "Dammit Kate that isn't even why I called you in here! The Rogue has been dealt with so go and report that to Dad. I'm dealing with the loose ends, I'm a big boy, I know how. I wanted to talk to you about this!" He slammed the recovered bullet down onto the bench.

Kate smirked, "I was wondering if she was going to tell you about that."

"Of course she was going to- we were on a co-op mission, all of you had strict instructions! I'm the one calling the shots here, not you. You agreed to go by my rules while we were out there and I have evidence that you disobeyed. What do you have to say?"

"They're monsters Chris, we should have just killed all four of them in that yard last night!"

"They've done nothing wrong!"

"Derek's killed an innocent, he has blue eyes!"

Chris let out a breath, "You know the story of what happened, Talia brought it to us immediately, explained the situation. Derek wasn't found guilty because he didn't kill a Human-"

"That's bullshit, I know it is! He killed someone, the guilt was eating him alive all those years ago, I just didn't get a name!"

"Leave it alone Kate. The Hales have done nothing wrong- in fact the only one who's been proven untrustworthy here, is you! Give me your gun."

Kate stepped back, eyes wide, "Chris…"

He just held his hand out, face set.

"You aren't serious… You know what a disgrace it is to give up your weapon! You can't have my gun!"

"You aren't responsible enough to be carrying, not while you're in Beacon Hills. Hand it over."

Kate yelled out in frustration as she pulled her gun out of its holster and slapped it into Chris's hand. "This isn't over," she threatened, walking back into the house.

As he locked her gun up, he realized that Kate wasn't privy to all of the Hales' secrets… as far as she was aware, Derek had killed a fairy. Chris knew the truth, as did Victoria, Talia had known they'd both understand the circumstances around Paige's death. But his father wouldn't, so they came up with a lie, one that would explain the blue eyes but that wouldn't invoke the Code. At least Derek had managed to hide that from her, even if Kate didn't really believe it- she had no proof otherwise. This was turning into a mess… but at least Kate didn't have a gun. Not that it would be hard for her to find another one, hell she'd probably packed at least three others. But it was the shame behind giving up a gun that Chris had hoped would make her pause and not go off on a headhunt. She wasn't going to stop pushing about the unknown Beta either… but Chris wasn't going to put Isaac's life in danger just because Kate thought she was in charge.


	17. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson is a butt, Allison is a sweetheart, and Stiles is concerned. Also, Kate's a b*tch but we finally find out a little more about what exactly she's doing in Beacon Hills, dun dun duuuuuuun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jackson is an asshole during the first half of Geometry, which Allison does NOT appreciate at all. I'm trying to keep it fairly light, since I know a lot of people end up ripping on Jackson for being such a dick. But the comments just seemed too... realistic to leave out. Considering the hostility Jackson shows towards Scott and Stiles in the show, I figure, if the three characters grew up as brothers like in this fic, he'd probably end up saying something like this without it being considered too much of a jerk comment. They are like 16.
> 
> Cutting out the date in this chapter and putting it in the next chapter and just making it longer. I'm just kinda stuck on how the date should go and I really want to post a chapter for this fic and the only way to do that is to cut out the part I'm stuck on and save it for the next section XD But, the date will still be a thing, just not in this chapter .

*Friday, School*

"Remember, you have to rein in your Wolfy-ness alright?" Stiles reminded Scott as they all climbed out of the jeep.

"Yea, can't let-"

"Scott, hey! I didn't get the chance to talk to you since I didn't stay until the end of practice but you did so well yesterday! Everyone watching was just absolutely floored! I didn't know you could play so well," Allison gushed, running up to them and hugging Scott.

"Well, honestly, I only just got better- last year I absolutely sucked. But I trained hard… I would have tried harder at practice sooner but… I was still really nervous about my skills and everything. Isaac finally convinced me that I should just give it my all if I was serious about getting off the bench this year," Scott lied. He felt awful, lying to her about stuff already, but Laura said Allison couldn't know- she didn't even know what her parents did! It wouldn't be right of him to tell her the secret behind her parents' backs.

"Yea, you should have totally opened up the season with those awesome skills! I probably would have been nervous as well, I can't fault you for that. But, at least you did show Coach Finstock before the first game, maybe he'll put you in," Allison commented, linking arms with him.

"I can hope so!"

Allison frowned, looking between the boys, "But what about Stiles? No offense Stiles but… Isaac and Scott seem like… a lot better- don't they help you practice?"

"Oh how sweet, assuming that they are at fault. Mostly people are quick to blame me," Stiles said, hand over his heart. "Truth is… I only tried out for the team because those two really wanted to play and didn't want me to be left out. I'm sure if I put a little more effort into it, I could get better, but I'd never be on their level, I just don't have the concentration. ADHD kinda makes me jittery all the time so… I don't waste their time making them try and help me. My goal is to be good enough to stay on the team- someone has to warm the bench, right?"

Isaac rolled his eyes, "He just doesn't want to get left home alone whenever we have away games, he'd get lonely."

"Har har!" Stiles scoffed. "More like I'd finally be able to sleep without all the snoring going on!"

"I don't snore!" Scott whined, pouting.

"Don't make me record it," Stiles threatened.

"Now, now, everyone snores if they don't sleep in the right position, no need to get defensive about it," Isaac cut in, knowing that they were in dangerous territory. As much as they told their parents that they didn't care about the 'sleeping together' thing but at the same time, it wasn't like they just told people about it. Thankfully it seemed like both of them got the hint and they dropped it.

"Well, as long as they aren't purposefully not training with you, I guess I can't be mad," Allison laughed. She really didn't think that had been the case, but she couldn't understand how two of them had gotten so good and the third wasn't. But if Stiles was okay with where he was at on the team, that was fine.

Stiles looked at Allison as she started asking Scott more about lacrosse- she really was a nice person. He could tell that she wasn't faking it at all; he hoped that when she found out about Hunters and Weres, that she'd stay the same. But he made a mental note to ask her about something later, when he had time alone with her. For now, school was starting, time for class.

*Second Period Geometry*

Allison was still smiling to herself as she went into Geometry, Scott had been passing her notes throughout class- it had been so sweet! Hadn't Allison told herself that she wasn't really thinking about dating anyone? But Scott was just so sweet and cute, they'd gone to the party together too. It was still early, anything could happen- some girl could just come and sweep her off her feet. Well, that might be kind of hard to do when no one knew she liked girls too but, she could hope.

"Hey, Allison, do we really have to do the double date tonight? You don't know Scott like I do. He's a loser and he sucks at bowling- he's going to ruin the whole night!" Jackson suddenly said, cutting into her thoughts as he took his seat.

"Do you have to be such an ass?" Allison asked, brows furrowed.

Jackson just smirked, "Trust me, once you get to know Scott, you'll see. Besides, I've heard that all three of them sleep together, that's just gross. I know they aren't true brothers but they all grew up together, that's like incest."

"Jackson, don't spread rumors!" Allison gasped. Although, her mind flashed back to how Stiles was talking about the snoring earlier… if they all had their own rooms… wouldn't the snoring be almost negligible? And at 16, it hardly seemed likely that they'd be forced to share a room.

"It's not a rumor, it's true! Danny called Isaac one morning, because they forgot about weekend practice and Coach was pissed. He was all sleepy and then we heard Scott mumbling something. If he was mumbling, how else would we have heard him? They were in the same bed! And don't be surprised when they try to invite you in with them."

"Seriously Jackson, stop! Whatever, I won't jump to any conclusions… They aren't like that."

Jackson leaned closer to her desk, suggestive look on his face, "I mean, if you want to share a bed with someone, Lydia and I have plenty of room for you- we can just tell Scott we cancelled the date and head to my house if you want."

"I can't believe you, does Lydia know you're like this?"

"Lydia and I have talked about it, I have one free pass for a threesome with a lady of my choosing. I can give you a lot more than those inexperienced virgins can. If' you're nervous about being with a girl, trust me, as a guy, you ladies are lovely. Don't stick around with those guys just because you haven't been with a girl before. Let me know when you get tired of them ignoring you to screw each other."

Allison slammed her book open and turned her back on Jackson, cheeks red- was he really saying those things? God he was being lecherous, trying to get into her into bed. And talking about the boys like that?! He didn't have any proof that they… _slept_ together like that. She didn't get that kind of vibe from them at all, and well… Like Jackson said, they weren't actual brothers so who was she to judge… But, surely Scott wouldn't ask her to join it- if, _if_ , they were close like that. But she bit her lip, wondering just what it might be like to share a bed with Lydia, even for one night. Still, she definitely would not be letting Jackson anywhere near her, not with that attitude.

Jackson could see that Allison wasn't going to bite, fine, if she wanted to join up with the losers for lame sex, that was on her. He turned in his seat and swung around to talk to Andrew, behind him. "I'm going to need you to talk to Dylan."

"About what?" Andrew asked, not even pausing in taking notes.

"The whole grudge thing he's feeling. He's beyond pissed that Coach made him change up his schedule- he skipped practice yesterday. We can't let him act like a child or Coach is just going to cut him entirely. I mean, especially now that Scott is hopped up on some sort of steroid. If Coach thinks Scott is now the more valuable player, he'll cut Dylan in order to protect Stiles. I like Dylan and I'd hate to see him get cut over this. Isaac's apologized to you, the doctors all said you'd be able to play before the end of the season, which is when all the scouts come anyways. You don't have any hard feelings right?"

"I mean, this totally sucks! But yea, I still have a chance to play in college and get a scholarship so I'm not going to ruin Isaac's life over it. Shit happens when you play a sport… just… normally it's because of the other team, not your own teammate. Dylan is just… he knows how much it means to me to actually get into a college somewhere and get out of here."

"Yea, I know. He has no reason to care about hurting Isaac's feelings at all. But still, he isn't thinking clearly, so maybe if you talk to him and help him understand that he needs to let it go, he'll actually listen. I've tried talking to him, and Coach has too- he's resistant and doesn't want to listen."

"I'll give it a try, I'm pretty sure I can convince him to let it all go. Just as long as he doesn't have to be friends with them or anything, no way is Dylan going to agree to that."

Jackson laughed quietly, "No, of course not. I mean, Isaac's been 1st string both years he's been playing and none of us are friends with him. Just because Scott is becoming a good player now too doesn't mean we have to like him. Only means that we can't damage them, which, sadly, includes Stiles as well." With one final nod to Andrew, Jackson turned back to the front and pretended to take notes.

*Lunch*

Stiles stretched as the bell rang, getting ready to pack up his notes when Mr. Harris called him up to the front of the class. He groaned, wondering what the hell he might have 'done' in order to get a detention this time. Finstock was going to kick him off the team for sure if he got another detention so soon.

"I trust that Isaac is feeling better?" Mr. Harris asked, straightening up the papers on his desk.

"Um, yea, when we all took Wednesday off, it helped him a lot."

"Good. He looked awfully upset on Tuesday, although why your parents felt all three of you needed to stay home, I don't know… But, that's not my place to decide. I was going to ask about it yesterday but you left class so fast, I didn't get the chance. Don't forget that you have to turn in that assignment on Tuesday- and I'm only giving you an extra day to work on it because I have to. I don't see why you can't just turn it in on Monday like everyone else. That's all."

"Right," Stiles mumbled, heading back to his desk to gather his stuff. He saw that Scott and Erica had both stayed behind.

"He cares about Isaac?" Scott asked, dubious.

"Apparently."

Erica frowned and looked at Scott, "You heard what they were talking about?"

"Huh? Oh um, just… bits and pieces. I heard Isaac's name, and I knew that Harris was the one that had excused them from detention. He had no other reason to bring up Isaac, since he doesn't have a Chem class this year."

"Oh, right, yea that makes sense. But for those of us who hadn't been eavesdropping, what did he say?" Erica asked as they walked out of the class and headed to lunch.

"He just wanted to make sure Isaac was feeling better, and of course, he wanted to remind me that I still had to do Wednesday's assignment, which I'm sure is a reminder to you too Scott. But enough about Harris, I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Isaac called out, waiting with Boyd.

"I'm growing!"

The group of them got their lunches and sat down; as they got settled, Ran came over and sat on Isaac's open side, smiling at everyone.

"Hey Ran!" Erica said, pausing a moment before remembering her name-sign.

Isaac jumped in surprise, "H-hey. What made you decide to join us?"

She scribbled something down on her notebook, knowing Isaac wasn't efficient at Signing yet. _You guys said we should be friends, and friends eat together :)_

"That's right," Stiles agreed, reading her note from across the table. "Oh, before I forget, here." He reached into his bag and pulled out a comic, held in a clear plastic sleeve and turned to Erica. "I'm not sure if you've read it already or not… and if you have then this offer is kinda pointless but… I um, brought you a copy of one of my favorite Punisher comics, if you want to read it."

Erica looked at Stiles, "You're letting me borrow a comic?" She didn't have many of her own, money was kind of tight with all her medications she was on. So the few she did have were absolutely precious to her, and surely Stiles felt the same way about his. It was rare to loan them out to others, especially now that she knew how dedicated he was about the topic. Plus, the protective sleeve it was in.

"Well yea, I mean, you liked Batman, and you were talking about how he should step up and really take care of the criminals. So I think you'd like The Punisher maybe. I mean if not, I have tons of others."

"I'd be happy to check it out, I mean, I saw both movies, and I know of course they probably took liberties with it but I like the general idea of him. Th-thank you, really, I've been wanting to branch out with comics and had no idea where to start…"

"Well this one is technically Marvel, where Batman is DC, and a lot of people like one or the other but, I think both companies make characters to like and dislike." Stiles continued to talk to her about the merits of both companies as she tucked the comic book into her bag.

Ran tugged on Isaac's sleeve, pointing down to her notebook, _So is everything okay? I noticed that Dylan didn't come to class yesterday. Do you think he's planning something?_

Isaac shook his head, responding, _No, he wasn't in class before because Coach had his classes changed. I don't know if he's planning anything or not, I hope he isn't…_

 _Me either, and how are you feeling, on the inside?_ Ran asked, keeping her wording basic just in case someone else happened to look over.

 _Not bad, my brothers are helping, although Scott understands better than Stiles_ Isaac wrote back, giving Ran a meaningful glance.

Ran paused, tilting her head as she saw the look on Isaac's face. She made the Sign for wolf, figuring that Isaac must have looked that one up given his new condition. He gave a small nod, feeling better that she understood, that they weren't keeping it a secret. Ran looked up at Scott, across the table, as he talked with Boyd. She wanted to ask why, how long… surely it couldn't have been long, since they would have just told her the other day. So was it recent? Was it the same one that Bit Isaac? She couldn't ask though… not without making it obvious on the note. She'd have to wait until later.

 _I'll explain better in math, just wanted to let you know_ Isaac wrote down. Ran nodded, and Isaac felt relieved. He usually had free time in Spanish, he'd write her a note or something privately and then she could read it after she got home.

*Lydia's Table*

Allison glared at Jackson as he sat across the table, arm thrown over Lydia's shoulders like everything was fine. But someone's foot kept nudging hers underneath the table, and Jackson kept glancing her way. He was good though, never breaking rhythm in his conversation with the guys. Allison was going to have a talk with Lydia about all of this, it made her uncomfortable- they were supposed to go on a double date tonight! And Jackson had made the comment that she should just ditch Scott, and the bowling alley altogether to sleep with him. People like him were the reason she usually kept her sexuality a secret, they instantly judged and had some ideal in mind of what she should be like just because she wasn't straight. Lydia had the right to know about his attitude- she couldn't just take his word for it that they had a deal, that was something a lot of people would probably say. She should have just sat with Scott today; she looked over to his table and saw them all laughing together. And she was willing to bet that they weren't making fun of someone else in the school to get laughs like that, unlike the guys at this table. It was almost like that was all they knew how to do, rip on someone else.

*Lunch, Sheriff's Department*

"Knock, knock," Melissa called out, appearing in the doorway.

John looked up from his paperwork, startled.

She set a hand on her hip, "Did you forget we were having lunch today?"

"No, not at all, more of… surprised it's already lunch time," John answered, chuckling. "What are we having?"

"I brought some sandwiches, I figured that was the best route- semi healthy but not completely bland. Yours is toasted."

"Alright! Sounds good, and a lot better than the very bland salad Stiles packed me for lunch last week. I swear, the kid thinks I can't even have anything but lettuce. How am I supposed to eat a salad with no croutons or dressing?"

Melissa laughed and handed John his sandwich, sitting down in one of the chairs opposite him. "Do you think…" she paused, making sure she closed the door. "Are the boys going to be okay? Laura seems so… I'm sure she's a great Alpha but our boys are only teenagers."

"I know, but the Rogue is dead, Laura and Chris took care of him. What else is there to be worried about? Chris and Victoria are going to hang around as well, keeping an eye on things. And I know Stiles, he'll protect his brothers from the world, so if he's their Anchor, he'll be there for them."

"But they're just kids, they don't need to be worried about losing control or having Hunters at their backs, waiting for them to make a mistake. I know Chris isn't like that, but… he isn't the only Hunter in the world either. Their lives are in danger now because of this. And what exactly is an Anchor? I mean as a Human Anchor, what should Stiles even be doing for them?"

John gave her a light smile, "Their lives would have been in danger anyways because the supernatural has existed and we just didn't know about. At least we know what to look for. Laura is going to teach them all about what it means- you heard her, Stiles is Pack too. He isn't just a hanger-on, he's a part of this and she's going to treat him like family. I'm sure Stiles isn't the first person who has served as an Anchor for a Werewolf before, so Laura will know how to teach him. And as for the other Hunters in the world... I've been looking into the Hale family… I know now that someone purposefully set those fires, and I should have done something back then."

"But the fire investigator signed off on everything, you had no reason to distrust his word," Melissa soothed. She'd been horrified to find out that someone had purposefully murdered the Hales, trapped them in the house.

"And now I'm looking into just why he would have lied. Of course, it's all unofficial right now so I can only look into it in my free time, but there is so much that just doesn't add up. How had I missed it?"

Melissa got up and went to John's side, "Because the fire hit close to home. Laura was at our house so much, watching the children. And we got to know Talia and her husband very well, it was hard to be impartial. You wanted to believe it had all been an accident, we all did. And no one had trusted us with the truth, with the fact that there are Hunters and Werewolves and who knows what else might be existing in this world. It's in the past, so now we will do what we can to make it right."

"While at the same time… helping our boys learn how to be Werewolves. There is so much we're going to have to take into account, so much we're going to have to learn as well. We're the parents, we're supposed to have the answers!"

She laughed, hugging John tighter, "I'm pretty sure they know they can't expect us to have the answers in a situation like this. We're going to have to trust that Laura will teach us all what we need to know. Now hurry up and finish your lunch, don't make me late."

"Yes ma'am," he said, smiling up at her. Melissa always knew how to make him feel better. He'd figure out what exactly happened to the Hales, why someone decided to kill them and put them behind bars for it. He'd made a schedule with Chris, to discuss what he'd seen in the house when he had investigated. But yea, he needed a break, just time to have a nice lunch with his wife. He had to trust Laura to teach the boys about this new life, just like he'd told Melissa she would.

*Fourth Period Spanish*

Erica pulled Isaac away from the others as they walked into class, "Isaac, about yesterday…"

"Yea?"

"How did you know? You pulled me out of my seat just as _I_ was becoming aware that I was going to have a seizure. I don't understand."

Isaac paled a bit, not prepared for this question… he hadn't even thought about the consequences of predicting her seizure, he was just pulled out of his seat, drawn to her. "I… It was… I don't know… I just looked over and you had this look on your face. It hit me then, that you were going to have one. I could have easily been wrong I suppose, but that's just what flooded my mind. And I couldn't let it happen again, like with what happened in Chemistry."

"But Mr. Schmidt isn't like Mr. Harris, he knows… I have a certain way of asking, that lets him know it's an emergency. He's nice, he never would have prevented me from leaving."

"But when if he hadn't seen you raise your hand? I know that you only have a short amount of time before it hits you. I just reacted."

"I… well, thank you. I, you helped me yesterday. I don't understand how you did it but, thank you," Erica said softly before pulling him into a hug.

He smiled and followed her into class, taking the seat behind her. Then he looked at his hands, reminded of what he saw when he'd been holding her. By the time practice had finished yesterday, he'd been so happy, just releasing all that energy, it had been forgotten. Happy that Erica was feeling better, glad that she'd come back to class, telling the truth that it hadn't been a really bad seizure. But he wanted to know what it was- what if it meant something bad?! Hurriedly, he scribbled a note on the back of his hand, just so he'd have a visual to remind him today.

*After Practice*

"Hey, Stilin- Umm, Isaac, c'mere a sec?" Andrew called out.

Stiles and Scott both tensed up as Isaac turned and headed over to the older lacrosse player. Sure, Andrew wasn't going to start anything out in the open but… that didn't mean this was anything good. The pair of them paused by the door, Stiles looking at Scott expectantly, but the youngest brother was already listening in.

"Dylan here wanted to say something real quick, right?"

"Yea," Dylan mumbled, hands gripping his crosse tightly. "I'm sorry that I tried to hurt your brother in order to get back at you for what happened to Andrew. It wasn't right of me. Coach talked to me about it and Jackson, but Andrew told me that he isn't mad at you because it was a total accident. And it wasn't like Stiles had anything to do with it either, so that was messed up. I hope we can move past this."

Isaac could tell that Dylan was still pissed about the whole ordeal, but that he was trying to make it right. His chest twinged when he mentioned it being an accident… no one but his brothers knew how he was really feeling that day. "I understand, and I'm sorry things escalated like they did. I could have seriously messed things up for Andrew, I need to be more aware- especially now that I've started training a lot harder. But we're all teammates and I do think it's important to work together, I won't hold any of this against you since you were just really pissed about what happened to your friend. None of us got hurt, although if you ever try throw a ball at anyone, who isn't wearing a helmet, there won't be anything left of you for Coach to yell at."

Dylan paled, "I… I wasn't thinking when I did that at all. Honestly, I'm glad you caught the ball… I wasn't… intentionally aiming for his head. I was mad and I wanted to hurt him so I'm not surprised I aimed high like that… if it had hit him…"

Seeing that Dylan actually seemed to regret that choice, Isaac nodded, "Well then, now that we're all on the same page, I'll make sure Stiles knows to leave it alone too."

"Thanks, we don't need team drama at the very beginning of the season like this," Andrew said, patting Dylan on the back.

"He… he apologized," Scott said, looking to Stiles in surprise.

"Like, sincerely? His body language says he's more pissed than anything."

Scott shrugged, "He seemed sincere enough, I think Andrew finally talked some sense into him. Although yea, he's probably still pissed, I think he's sincere enough that he's willing to just let it drop. Which means you have to as well!"

Stiles gaped, "He was the one that threw the ball at my head! I didn't retaliate for that at all- I had every right to and I didn't!"

"Isaac said that he was going to make sure you knew to leave it alone, so I'm just letting you know what was said."

"I'm just glad it's supposed to be over. Our first game is next Saturday and I'd hate for something to happen out on the field. Quick shower then, we have to go to see Laura."

"Not me, I have my double date to prepare for," Scott said with a smile, running off to the showers.

Right, the double date, with Jackson. Stiles turned and looked over at Allison, biting his lip.

"Hey Lydia, wait up a sec… I wanted to…" Allison sighed, this wasn't going to be easy.

"What's up?"

"It's about Jackson… today, in Geometry, he said something…"

Lydia frowned, "Something like what?"

"He said that Scott was a loser and that basically I should just dump him, and the three of us could spend some quality time together instead. He tried to tell me something about how he has this free pass for a threesome, and I'm sure it's just some line to make stop me from telling you about it. He said some really bad things about Scott though, I'd rather not repeat it- he's a total ass Lydia! Please don't hate me for saying that…"

"We do have an agreement, but I'm supposed to approve of the lady in question. After he and I have discussed it, I'm supposed to be the one to approach her, just so things like this wouldn't happen. It seems like Jackson has forgotten that part of our agreement, to just blurt it out like that, wow Jackson lacks finesse. I'm sorry, that he made you uncomfortable like that, probably ruined any chance we had," Lydia tsked.

Allison didn't miss the way Lydia's eyes roamed her body, feeling a spike of excitement. Lydia was okay with girls, was she bi too? "So you aren't mad?"

"Not at you, it's not like you purposefully came on to him and made out with him in an empty classroom. Jackson's hormones get the better of him from time to time, this isn't the first time it's happened. And you're good looking, so it's not a surprise at all, but that's hardly your fault."

"Thanks… it's just easy to hate on the interloper sometimes instead of the boyfriend you've been with for a few years. But, you really do have an arrangement with him, for a threesome?"

"Yea, I mean, a lot of guys fantasize about something like that, and I figure, if I at least made it an option, he'd be less likely to cheat. Of course, I got something in return, that's how deals work."

Allison smiled, "Can I ask what?"

"Jackson had to agree to allow me one sexy time role play. He'd always balked at doing it, so I figured it was a fair trade in letting him invite another girl into our bed. The deal also included that if we both liked it enough, it could become a more regular thing, and the first agreed upon time was in place so we could view it with an open mind."

"Jackson must really want a threesome then, if he agreed to do something he normally fought you on."

"Yea, it only took him two seconds to agree, and I promised that it wouldn't be anything demeaning or drastic, just a little role play, spice things up a bit. I am surprised that he's taken so long on picking a girl, excluding the horrendous effort he made with you earlier today. He made me promise that I couldn't just deny every girl he proposed, since I told him I had to be okay with his choice. But I just like to know who I might potentially be sleeping with- he hasn't even brought me one idea to think over. Honestly, I was starting to think he'd forgotten, but obviously not."

"Well, knowing that he wasn't lying… it makes me feel better. I mean, he could have easily told me that you and him had an open relationship, that you both see people on the side and it's okay. I still wouldn't have believed that either, not without talking to you about it but, that at least means that he isn't cheating right?"

"He better not be. He knows the consequences of that. Again, I'm sorry he brought it up that way, and that he doesn't have enough brains to realize that bad-mouthing your boyfriend is only going to make you mad."

Allison scowled, "Jackson said that the three of them sleep together, and that Scott is only dating me so that way I can be talked into joining them basically. Who says something like that?"

"What? That's absolutely ridiculous! I may not act like it but I know Stiles very well, we've been in the same school, same classes for years now. He loves his brothers yea, but not like that. Scott doesn't even like guys like that. Do not tell them that I pay that much attention to them by the way. And speaking of the brothers, here comes Stiles now. I'll see you later tonight, and I'll have a talk with Jackson about what he said."

"Thanks!"

As Lydia walked out to her car, Stiles approached Allison, clearing his throat. "Hey, can I um, ask something?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"I know that Lydia is your friend, and that you probably expect things to go smoothly tonight but… Jackson is an absolute ass and he really can't stand me or my brothers. Scotty, he's a sweetheart, really he is… He's never really stood up to Jackson before because he just lets things slide off his back, and tonight, he's not going to want to make waves. So that means he'll probably try to bend over backwards to keep things civil, which means he won't stand up to Jackson if he says anything mean. Just… can you watch out for him? Please? You strike me as a really kind person, so I figure you wouldn't let Scott demean himself on the date, but I just wanted to make sure you were aware of Jackson's attitude."

"Oh yea, I'm aware, don't worry. Jackson will find out fast enough that I won't let him bad mouth my date. I don't tolerate rude people."

Stiles relaxed, "Oh good… well I mean, I guess it's not good that you know firsthand that Jackson isn't really that great of a guy. But at the same time, at least you're prepared for reality, know what might happen tonight. I hope it doesn't come to that but, I won't be there to protect Scotty, so I want to make sure someone else will watch out for him."

Allison smiled, realizing how much Stiles cared. Scott was obviously the same age as the rest of them but Stiles still took it upon himself to watch out for his brothers. It was endearing, and it made Allison wish she had someone like that in her life.

"Okay, well, I hope the date goes well, I'll get out of your hair now," Stiles laughed, waving to her as he went to gather up his brothers. Scott was going to take forever to pick something to wear so the sooner he got dropped off at home, the better.

*Hale House*

Stiles parked in his usual spot- did it count as his 'spot'? He'd really only been here a few times… but it felt like his spot! If it wasn't his before, he was claiming it now. He was only just climbing out of the Jeep when he heard Isaac greeting the Hales, damn Wolfy speed.

"Laura, can I ask you a question before we get started?"

"Where's Scott? But yes, of course, ask away."

"Scott going on a double date, so he won't be here. The other day… Erica, a friend of mine, she had a seizure and well…"

Stiles frowned, walking up, "When was this? You aren't talking about the one last week in Chemistry, are you?"

"Scott's skipping out on training for a date?" Derek growled out.

"Not just any date, a double date, with Lydia and Jackson," Stiles assured him, hoping to convey the importance.

"He's going to shift for sure!"

"We can deal with that part later," Laura cut in, seeing that Isaac was concerned about something else entirely. It wouldn't be hard for Cora to follow Scott wherever he may go on this date and keep an eye on him. "Isaac, continue."

"Yesterday, in second period. It was weird, like I sensed it was coming, so I was able to get her out into the hallway, so she had at least a little more privacy. But, that wasn't what I was going to ask… I know dogs can be trained to pick up on stuff like that so it's not super surprising that we can as well. Anyways, during the seizure, or well to the end of it… I was holding Erica's cheek and then there were these black veins that appeared on my wrist… is that bad?"

"Did Erica see them?" Derek asked before Laura could begin explaining.

Isaac shook his head, "No, I don't think so. She didn't say anything and I'm pretty sure she was concentrating more on what was happening; it takes her a few seconds to remember exactly what's going on."

"How long did it last?" Stiles asked, concerned.

"Like... a few seconds..."

Stiles groaned, "Not the vein-y thing, which I do hope isn't a sign of anything bad, I was talking about the seizure."

"Oh... I'm not really sure, it felt like forever honestly, but maybe 45 seconds?" he answered before turning back to Laura.

"It's nothing bad Isaac, it's something all Weres can do. We can pull pain and discomfort from others, since our bodies heal almost instantly. You must have wanted to help Erica, the first time can be kind of hard to induce when you don't know what you're supposed to do exactly. But you helped ease her pain, I'm sure you must have felt something?"

"Yea, actually… this dull ache over my body, and Erica said that after her seizures she always feels achy… I like… absorbed her pain?"

Laura nodded, "Yea. It's something else that our mother used to tell us stopped us from being monsters. How can we be monsters when we're given this ability to help protect others from pain?"

Isaac relaxed, "I had been so worried when I'd seen it, but then, by the time we'd had practice and whatnot, and coming here for the first time to learn everything, it had slipped my mind. Then it popped into my head again when Erica and I were talking. I'm glad it's nothing bad."

"Scott's going to be mad he missed out on a lesson," Cora commented before jumping down to poke at Isaac, just trying to be annoying.

While they got started on building Isaac's focus and control, Stiles approached the Alpha. "Hey… Is… is Epilepsy something that gets cured? It's more of a mental thing… well no, that's not right, it's not like mental illnesses, it's a neurological thing, different type of mental I suppose- anyways… it gets cured right?"

"Yea, something like Epilepsy, would disappear if Erica were to get the Bite. Why?"

"I… I just don't really think it's fair she has it… I mean… okay, up until last week, I thought we were all dealt a hand and we had to suck it up but… Now that I know, there is an option for her, is it bad that I think we should at least offer it?" Stiles asked. But when he saw Derek scowl, he hastened to add, "I won't tell her if you think it's a bad idea, I just… can we think about it? Isaac told me that her doctors are worried it's going to get worse, and Erica is a really nice girl. I know I'm being totally biased because I know her and I'm not like pleading cases for everyone in the hospital or something but…"

"It's kind of you to be concerned, although in this world, the fewer that know about us the better. That doesn't mean we haven't offered the Bite to those at risk before- it's a very biased rule though, since it's usually only extended to those that know about our world or those that are close to us and we feel can keep the secret. Maybe… maybe I'll visit her, and see what my Wolf thinks, okay? If it seems at all like she's in danger, we can bring it up with the Argents." Laura hugged Stiles, amazed that he was already so accepting of their world and what it had to offer. If more Humans looked at things like these boys, they wouldn't have to live in secret.

Stiles relaxed as Laura hugged him, easing his mind. It wasn't a for sure thing, he knew that, but it felt good to know that at least something was being done. She was willing to look into it, for him. Being a part of a Pack like this was actually pretty nice! Their introduction into the world was a bit overwhelming, but now that things were calm, Stiles couldn't wait to learn more.

*Argent House*

Kate was pacing in her room, angry at Chris and Victoria- both of them were trying to ice her out, treating her like she was 6. If they thought this was going to make her leave, they were wrong. It only made her want to stay and put them in their place! Feeling like a teen again, Kate opened her window and scaled down the side of the house, dropping into the backyard. She didn't need to go far, just enough so she knew no one would be eavesdropping. After she put some space between her and the house, making sure there weren't any guys patrolling the yard, Kate pulled out her phone, making a call. "Dad, things are worse than we thought… I haven't had time to call because Chris has been watching me like a hawk. He hasn't given me any information on the boys that wandered into the area. He says they were just looking around because the gate wasn't locked but with all the noise going on, any sane teenager would have steered clear of the area. He hasn't given me any names and my contact hasn't come through with a list of calls that went out that night. I do know that no deaths were reported, so if the Rogue did manage to Bite the one boy he attacked… that means we have another Omega roaming around. I was being pulled away, so I couldn't see what happened exactly but I know that one of those boys went down- my contact needs to hurry up. I'll get it from them eventually but every day that goes by, the trail is getting colder. Chris hasn't even told me who the Beta was, or where they went…"

"It wouldn't surprise me if Laura offered to take them in, at least rehabilitate them and find a new Pack for them, she's done it before. It's a shame really, any Were that is turned by someone so out of control probably would have a chaotic Wolf inside them- best to just put them down before they turn feral," Gerard commented.

"If Laura can't see that they are dangerous, then that means she should be put down too!"

"Kate, I told you… even though they are small now, the Hale name is well known, we can't kill them without a cause. And taking in a Rogue's untrained Beta isn't reason enough to kill them. We'll find something, we just have to wait. Now tell me more about Chris and the decisions he's made about this situation."

"Well, for starters, he took my gun away from me! I shot Laura during the fight, just to see what he'd do. It was in the shoulder, hardly made her pause- it should have been the back of her head though. Anyways, it was one of my initialed bullets, so he confronted me about it. Dad, he sided with her, over me! He said it was because I didn't follow the rules, but it's really because he trusts those monsters more than me. He still has the Hales up on that pedestal, just like when Talia was alive and he was stationed here back then."

Gerard made a surprised noise, "He took your gun? Over something as small as shooting the wrong Were- and not even fatally? He should come to expect that some collateral damage is unavoidable. Even if he knew that you shot her on purpose, there is no reason he should be putting up a divided front. If any of the Hales find out that Chris doesn't trust you, made you give up one of your weapons as a symbol of that mistrust, they're going to think they can walk all over you! They're going to think you're weak. And knowing Chris, he probably promised Laura he'd take care of the problem- he should have just told her that accidents happen and to let it go."

"Yea but this is Chris we're talking about. I can tell, with how mad he was about it, Laura has him whipped. We need to show her that us Hunters are running the show, and she's only allowed to live because she hasn't broken the code yet. It's only a matter of time though, they all cross the line at some point, it's in their nature to hunt Humans."

"Chris has forgotten his place… I think it's Victoria's fault. I never should have agreed to the marriage, but her family had a lot to offer… They aren't as strict as we are though, so with Victoria calling the shots, it doesn't surprise me that Chris has gone soft. Kate, what about Allison?"

"She's in the dark about everything- they don't even like me showing her my gun, like she's some child that will shoot herself in the foot or something," Kate scoffed.

"She's going to be 17 soon, why don't you teach her about our history. But be careful about it, if Chris or Victoria find out, they'll be sure to put a stop to it. I want you to be there, to teach her _our_ way of doing things. I don't want Victoria there to corrupt her, turn her into some weak excuse of a Hunter. Don't let me down Kate."

"I won't father. Allison has a lot of promise, I know just how to introduce her into the fold. I'll make sure she understands to not bring it up with her parents, tell her about how they shun the code and have put her in danger because of it."

"Good. Call me soon with an update. And get the names of those boys, as well as the unaccounted for Beta. We need to know everything we can if we're going to protect Beacon Hills from the Hales. We will not let them run the town again, not like before. Beacon Hills is too important."

Kate agreed wholeheartedly, saying goodbye and hanging up. She was going to get to train Allison? Oooh, this was going to be fun! Knowing that she couldn't be gone for too long, Kate hurried back to the side of the house and shimmied back into her room.


	18. Double Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The double date has arrived, but Scott gets a little help from a Packmate. Ran reads over the note Isaac gave her. Laura checks on Erica.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a super long chapter, but the date is finally here XD I know in the show, Allison is the one that helps Scott focus but since I'm writing Scott as a very new Wolf still, I figured I'd change things up a bit. Also I wanted to show more of the Hale Pack dynamic, of how Laura would look out for Scott since he's so new and that Jackson is mean and something might happen. So, Cora is the one that really helps Scott rein in the Wolf during the date instead.  
> *Not beta'd, I wanted to post this tonight and I don't want to pile it all on my friend last minute so there are probably errors!

*Date*

"Call me if you need a ride," Stiles said, dropping Scott off at Allison's house.

"Do you think the date is going to go that bad?" Scott asked, worried now.

Stiles smiled and shook his head, "I'm hoping it doesn't but I'm just throwing it out there."

"Well then, here's hoping I don't have to call," Scott laughed, waving and heading to the front door. Lydia had been adamant about them all taking the same car, so they could talk and stuff on the way to the bowling alley. So Lydia would be driving since they wouldn't fit in Jackson's Porsche, and to save time, Scott said he could get dropped off here so they'd only have to make one stop. Before he even rang the doorbell, the front door opened, Allison smiling at him.

"Hey! You sure you're okay with tonight? I mean, it's not too late to back out. I can always feign being sick or something…"

"No, it's fine. I mean, Jackson is the lacrosse captain, I think it's good that I get to spend some time with him. And besides, I don't want to make you look bad in front of your friends, both of them would know that I talked you out of it."

Allison shrugged and waved him inside, "If you're sure. I just know that Jackson isn't really a big fan of yours, for whatever reason… I didn't realize how bad it was when I first accepted the date proposal. But, we'll have fun, I know we will."

Scott agreed, knowing that if he was with Allison, it would be a good night regardless. He went into the house, heading into the living room to chat with her parents while they waited. It wasn't long though before they heard a honk at the same time Allison's phone chirped, a message from Lydia.

"Can't come to the door?" Chris mumbled, frowning. At least Scott had asked to get dropped off a little early, so he could spend some time talking with them. He had the right idea, Chris was happy about that.

"Lydia's just probably really excited to get going is all," Allison called out, pulling Scott to the door. Lydia had already met her parents, after the party that she had last week. They liked her, figured she'd be a good friend for Allison as far as first impressions went. "Oh, or it's Jackson that's driving," Allison said, seeing him behind the wheel of Lydia's car.

Chris was about to tell Allison to invite them inside but then the kid, Jackson, started honking again, giving them a look of 'hurry up' and Chris's frown deepened. He was already annoyed with this Jackson kid and he'd be sure to let Allison know when she got home. But, he wasn't going to embarrass her so he stood at the door with Victoria (and he noticed the stiff smile on her face as well) and waved them off.

Scott did his best to follow along with the different fashion trends that Allison and Lydia immediately started talking about but he was a little out of his element… But he noticed that he did manage to get a smile from Lydia when she asked him what was nice about her outfit. Jackson had just scoffed and made a comment about how it showed off her figure, and Scott mentioned that it brought out her eye color more. With the way she smiled at him, Scott was glad he didn't mention that it reminded him of an outfit Allison had- that probably would have gotten him a frown and an eye roll. Jackson probably wasn't too happy that Lydia chided him for not paying enough attention unlike Scott, but that wasn't Scott's problem… or maybe Jackson would make an excuse for him to just run laps all next week… Scott was way out of his element here. Allison must have sensed his sudden flare of anxiety because she reached over and squeezed his hand, smiling at him. Scott was fine for the rest of the ride.

As they entered the bowling alley, Scott immediately winced from all the clattering of pins. He hadn't even thought to bring his ear plugs, although surely Jackson would have noticed them anyways and commented about them. Scott wasn't a proficient liar like Stiles so he would have completely embarrassed himself trying to come up with an answer. By the time they all had picked up some shoes, Scott had managed to dull his hearing, blocking out all the lanes and their explosive noises.

"Let's head to that one in the corner, that way we don't have to worry about too many people bothering us," Lydia suggested, leading the way.

Oh boy, that should help, that way he only had the loud noises coming from one side… now all he had to do was learn how to bowl… Lydia went up first, Jackson leading her up to the lane, one hand dangerously low on her hip as he pressed in behind her. Wow, this was embarrassing… Jackson helped her to swing, releasing the ball. Thankfully it twisted, only knocking down 6 of the pins- Scott could probably do something like that! Then, after her ball came back and they lined up again and this time Lydia managed to knock down the last four with Jackson's help. Her and Allison both celebrated with a quiet wooo, high fiving. At least they had good sportsmanship, Jackson would never high-five him for being on the opposing team.

"Alright, Scott, you're next," Jackson sneered.

"Wait… what? I thought we agreed that the girls went first…?" Scott frowned.

"Yea, exactly."

Scott just blinked, taking a moment to understand, but Allison stood up and glared at Jackson, "You better watch yourself Jackson! I swear, I'll shove this bowling ball down your throat!"

Scott's eyes widened in surprise and Jackson paled a bit while Lydia just regarded Allison with a keen look. Angrily, the brunette lobbed her ball down the lane, resulting in a resounding strike. Scott cheered and hugged her as she sat back down, rewarded with a smile. Jackson carefully congratulated her as well before picking up his own ball and easily bowling a strike. Oh no, now it was Scott's turn… time to show them all just how much he sucked… His mouth went dry as he stood there, ball in hand; he could do this, he just watched three other people do it, it wasn't super hard. Plus he was a Werewolf, surely his super abilities would help him! So he swung his arm back and then released the ball down the lane where it went maybe two feet before spiraling into the gutter… His face turned red as he could hear Jackson laughing in his chair.

"I knew you'd been lying! You still suck at this! Wow even the 7 year olds three lanes down are better than you!"

Scott's eye twitched and his hands clenched as he tried to control his breathing. Wow this was an awful idea… he should have known that Jackson would be a complete ass tonight and he'd only had a few days of practice with his Wolf… Oh god, what if he Wolfed out here- in front of Allison! Laura would kill him, and then Mr. Argent… This was bad.

 _Scott_ , a voice echoed in his head. No… not a voice, not really, but it was something. _It's me, Cora. Calm down._

From the small dining section of the bowling alley, Cora was keeping watch over the newest Beta. She was sending him calming vibes, hoping her Wolf's calm presence would be enough for him since Stiles wasn't here. Scott didn't really know how to communicate back but that was okay, she could at least feel bits of his emotions through their Pack bond. She'd help him through this and make sure he didn't lose it in front of everyone- especially not Little Miss Argent.

As Scott took a deep breath and gathered his ball for his second try, he felt his Wolf whimper with frustration. How was he going to do this? And wasn't each game like 10 rounds? Maybe he'd end up on the alley's wall of shame, first person ever to get 0 points. Then suddenly his brain was filled with images, showing him how to line his thumb up with where he wanted the ball to go. This wasn't a game of Wolf strength- if he just threw it without concentrating, it would spin uncontrollably like before. He let Cora guide his Wolf, therefore guiding him, letting his mind go blank as he released the ball. When all 10 pins were knocked over, Scott jumped into the air, excited.

"See, he just needed to warm up, don't be so hard on him!" Allison defended. She smiled at Scott and patted his knee when he took his seat again. They watched as Jackson helped Lydia again, the redhead getting excited as she knocked over 7 pins this time. Jackson kissed her telling her that she was getting better, Scott had better watch out.

Lydia picked up her spare and then Allison went, knocking down nine and easily getting the last pin on her second try. Jackson got a strike again and sauntered into his seat acting like he was the best bowler ever. It made Scott mad and he yanked his ball off of the rack. He could do this! He could be just as good as Jackson! Scott lobbed the ball and realized as soon as he released it that he'd done it wrong. He'd be lucky to knock over three… He knocked over two.

_Scott, thumb. Ignore Jackass, focus._ Cora practically shouted at him in his head. 

Again images flooded his mind, only this time, a few memories of Stiles, laughing, surfaced as well. It had completely calmed his Wolf. Wow… even just memories of Stiles could help him at times like this, good to know. Before, Scott thought it was his scent that had calmed him, his voice, but… it was just Stiles, anything and everything about his dear brother. As he picked up his ball again, Allison approached him.

"Hey, ignore Jackson okay. He's a total dick and I'm only okay with him because Lydia is dating him. We're here to have fun and even though Jackson is making a big deal about it… it isn't really a competition. As long as we have fun tonight, I don't care if we lose."

"Yea, you're right. I just wanted to prove him wrong, that I didn't totally suck at this but I was lying… I haven't bowled since that time in third grade. But yea, if I just forget about him and try to have fun, it will be a good date," Scott agreed.

"Besides, I'll do well enough to beat Jackson for the both of us," Allison laughed. It wasn't until Scott smiled genuinely at her that she realized, a lot of guys might have been upset by a comment like that. But not him. She also realized that Scott hadn't lied about being good at bowling to impress her, he'd been lying to defend himself against Jackson. If he'd been lying to impress her, he wouldn't have admitted it so readily just now. Maybe there were still good teens in high school.

Scott called up some more memories of Stiles, on his own this time, just to clear his head. Allison's comments had made him super happy and had got his heart racing a bit, his Wolf was surfacing just a tad. Once he was calm, he threw the ball, knocking down the remaining pins.

 _Good job_ Cora called out to him. She'd wanted him to try on his own when he had started his turn but he had still been worked up. Laura probably would have been able to see that and calmed him down before he threw the ball but Cora wanted him to learn on his own. Obviously that's why she wasn't the Alpha… The Alpha is supposed to look out for the Betas and in a room full of witnesses… Cora should have just calmed him but, well in the end it worked out. And when he took his second ball, he managed to calm himself. Maybe he'd get the hang of it. Of course, she'd have to stay the whole time since Jackson could easily cross the line and catch Scott off guard but hopefully she wouldn't need to intervene anymore tonight.

Lydia stood up again and callously waved her boyfriend away, "I wanna try on my own."

"Okay, sure Babe," he answered, looking over at the other two as if to say 'looks like I'll have to pick up the spare for her after.'

Allison turned away, cheering for Lydia instead of acknowledging Jackson. She noticed the calm and collected look on Lydia's face, the casual toss of her hair- Lydia knew how to bowl just fine! The strike confirmed it. When she turned around to sit back down, she noticed Jackson's surprised face.

"What? I'm a fast learner. Guess I won't need your help any more then," she told him with a cold smile.

Allison leaned over to whisper to her, "You know, you don't just have to suck for his benefit, he's supposed to be happy that you're good at something. It's not like he needs an excuse to touch you."

"Oh, I do a lot of sucking for his benefit," Lydia whispered back with a pointed look that had Allison blushing. "But… if Scott can step up his game in spite of Jackson, then I figured maybe I should too. Besides, there are kids here and Jackson always gets handsy, so best to nip that in the bud for tonight."

Both girls smiled; Allison was feeling a lot more relaxed now since Jackson seemed to be the only one not having fun. When she got a strike, and then Jackson actually scored an open frame, knocking down only 9 pins in two balls, her mood improved even more. The rest of the game went by fast enough, everyone except Jackson getting into the groove of this. The final scores were: Lydia with 210, Allison with 216, Jackson with 182, And Scott with 197; not too bad all around.

Jackson of course was in a bad mood, not believing that he came in dead last… Let alone that Scott _and_ Lydia beat him. When had Lydia gotten so good? She always needed his help to bowl and then out of nowhere she scores over 200 tonight? And Scott… he sucked at first, what the hell happened? And there was lacrosse too, he'd gotten super good at lacrosse all of a sudden… talk about suspicious. Jackson would be keeping a close eye on him, make sure nothing sneaky was going on. Because of the Stilinski boys were up to something, he'd love to be the one to bust them.

"You did really well! Totally made a comeback, great job," Allison said, nudging Scott.

"Yea, once I just didn't let Jackson and the stress get to me, I did pretty good. I almost broke 200! You're a pretty awesome bowler though! High score out of the group," Scott replied, smiling.

Behind them, Jackson was complaining. "It was that damn open frame I got, it threw off my game, I started to make a comeback at the end but if I had just concentrated better… It's Scott's fault."

"And this is why you're captain of the lacrosse team and swim team. We don't have a bowling team Jackson, don't even sweat it," Lydia commented, only half paying attention. She was looking up at the menu, trying to decide what her healthiest option here was while not getting something that just tasted like cardboard. Hell, it was a double date, maybe she'd just get a slice of pizza… she could eat bad every once in awhile.

"Oh gosh, that pizza looks amazing, is it as good as it looks?" Allison suddenly asked, stepping up beside the redhead. She and Scott were thinking of getting some.

"I've never had their pizza here but if it looks that good, it can't be bad right? I was looking at it too honestly."

Allison grinned, "Let's get a few slices then." She grabbed Lydia's hand and pulled her over to the order window.

"Listen dumbass, when I find out what's going on with you, I'm going to take you down so hard!" Jackson threatened, stepping up to Scott all of a sudden while the girls were occupied.

"Excuse me?"

"The lacrosse, the bowling, something is going on with you- last week you couldn't hit the broad side of a barn on the lacrosse field and now all of a sudden you're acing every position on the field. You don't just get that good over night."

Scott shrugged, technically he did but Jackson couldn't know about that. "I didn't get good over night, I practiced my ass off. I was really nervous about tryouts so I didn't do so well, but now that I made the team and I'm a little more relaxed, I was able to perform better. Don't be so suspicious, geez, people don't always suck at everything forever."

"Yea, tell that to your brother, he'll always suck."

"Don't talk about him!" Scott growled out. Suddenly he felt arms around him and someone was talking.

"Oh wow, Scott? No way! It's been so long since I've seen you," Cora exclaimed, pushing between him and Jackson. "What are you doing here?"

"I um, I'm on a date with Allison, and our friends," Scott mumbled, surprised. But she'd been here to watch out for him and Jackson had just crossed the line. Thank goodness she was still here and hadn't gone home yet.

"Hi, I'm Allison," the brunette said, holding a basket with a few slices of pizza. "How do you know Scott?"

"Oh, my sister used to babysit him years ago, we kinda grew up together. We moved awhile back so I haven't seen any of the Stilinskis in awhile but wow… I'd recognize this kid anywhere, no matter how many years it's been. It's nice to meet you, my name is Cora by the way. Didn't mean to interrupt a date, just saw him and it took me by surprise is all."

"Oh, well, nice to meet you, maybe you can catch up with everyone while you're here, I'm sure they'd all love to hear from you," Allison said.

Wow, she sure was sugary sweet wasn't she? But, maybe that meant she'd turn out like her mother instead of her aunt whenever they finally introduced her to the supernatural. But being social and talkative wasn't really Cora's thing so she better make her exit before they invited her to stay and chat. "I'll stop by later, say hey to everyone. Have a good night you guys."

Scott breathed a sigh of relief as Jackson walked away, ordering something while the other three sat down. Allison had insisted on paying for Scott's pizza since Scott had paid for them to get in and for the shoe rental. This horrible double date idea was kind of her fault so she would have felt bad if he paid for everything.

The four of them sat and talked about classes, teachers, their scores and other various topics while they ate. Then Allison mentioned that she should be heading home, which Lydia pouted at. But, Jackson wanted to head home too, a few hours with Scott was more than enough for the lacrosse captain. So they all piled into the car and Jackson hit the road.

"So, Scott, you're first," he commented.

"What? No, you have to take Allison home first, it's polite," Scott argued.

When she heard Jackson's comment, Allison reached over and took Scott's hand. She had no way of knowing for sure but she wouldn't be surprised if Jackson tried to use that extra time alone to talk to her about the threesome thing again. At the very least, he was sure to trash talk Scott and Allison really didn't want to start a fight.

"But you are the closest, then Allison and I can loop to Lydia's house without having to backtrack at all. If we take Allison home, I have to backtrack all the way here in order to drop you off."

"But Allison is my date and I would like to see her home," Scott pushed.

Jackson groaned, "We'll be taking her home, it's fine. It's not like I'm going to make her walk from your house or something. I'm not going to waste time by backtracking from Allison's house to your house."

"Just head to Allison's then, I'll walk home or something, it's fine."

Allison frowned, "Scott…"

But Scott smiled at her, "I want to see you home. It's fine."

"Whatever, have it your way then," Jackson grumbled, taking the turn to Allison's house instead.

When they pulled up, both of them said goodnight to Lydia and Jackson and got out of the car. Scott walked her to the door as Jackson pulled away.

"I can't believe he's actually leaving you!" Allison complained, glaring at the taillights of the car.

"It's fine, Stiles said I could call him for a ride. I'm sure he probably expected something like this to happen when I told him we were all going to be taking one car. And I'd be an awful date if I didn't walk you to the door."

"Come inside then, while you wait, it's dark out and still a bit chilly. Dad will understand I'm sure but… first." Allison leaned forward and kissed Scott, pressing their lips together for a moment before stepping back. "I had fun tonight, once Jackson shut up."

Scott beamed as Allison unlocked the door and called out to her dad. Chris welcomed them and asked how the night had gone. He wasn't surprised to hear that Jackson had ended up being a total ass the whole night, and he didn't like the fact that he was just going to make Scott walk home.

"I don't want you going anywhere with him if he's driving Allison, he lets his mood dictate his driving and that's not a good combination," Chris told her.

Scott quickly sent Stiles a text, saying that the date went fine but that he did in fact need a ride home from Allison's. Then he sat on the couch and told Mr. Argent about how well Allison had bowled, asking if they went a lot as a family. Thankfully her aunt seemed to be busy, or was out, and didn't come greet him. After the close calls from earlier, Scott didn't want to chance meeting with her until later.

When Stiles pulled up and rang the bell, Chris walked him to the door. "Thanks for seeing Allison home, it tells me a lot about your character. Have a good night, drive safe."

"See you Sunday Mr. Argent," Scott said.

"Bye," Stiles waved before hoping back into the Jeep. As soon as they were in the car, Scott gave his brother a full description of how the night had gone. Which of course would be repeated as soon as they got home for their parents and Isaac.

*Ran's House*

Ran was looking over the note that Isaac had given her, nervous about reading it for some reason. This note was full of secrets and she'd probably end up putting it in the shredder after she read it, just to ensure that no one else found out about the secret. Maybe it was that responsibility that made her pause… So Ran set it on her desk and then pulled out all her books for homework, got her desk situated, then she opened the note. It was longer than she thought, Isaac going into more detail than she'd been prepared for. Did he really trust her this much, to include so much detail?

Apparently, there was a Rogue out there, the one that had originally turned Isaac. Then they had friends, other Werewolves, as well as some Hunters that teamed up together to kill the Rogue because he was hurting people. Something went wrong and the three boys found themselves in the trainyard, where the fight was happening and Scott had been attacked. The Rogue was dead now though, and their friend was also an Alpha, they'd Bitten Scott in order to save him. This had happened Wednesday night, Scott had almost died… But now he was a Wolf too. Isaac included that they were getting training now from their friend, and that it was okay that Ran knew the truth. They just wanted her to understand that they weren't monsters and that they had no reason to hurt her just because she'd seen Isaac when he was shifted. Ran was comforted by the fact that now the Rogue was dead and that people were safe. She was also glad that Isaac and Scott were getting help, learning how to deal with this new Wolf inside them.

Surprisingly he had even told her that Stiles was their Anchor. Stiles had mentioned of course that his presence had helped center Isaac and that was why it had been important for him to get to Isaac. But now Isaac was telling her the term was called an Anchor, something or someone that just helped center the Wolf, help keep them calm and tame. She made a mental note to learn Stiles's schedule, just in case Isaac or Scott might ever need him during class. She read the note over again, just to make sure she had all the facts straight and then went into the office to shred the note. Ran still had some questions about the Hunters and everything but that wasn't really important right now.

*Erica's House*

"Alright, are you ready? Coast is clear," Derek stated, sitting in the front seat of the Camaro. Laura was in the passenger seat, in her wolf form. They'd talked about her going up to the house as a Human, but they couldn't know for sure if Erica would be the one to answer the door or not and they didn't want to weird out her parents by hanging around trying to catch a scent. Best to just walk around the house as a giant dog and see if she could pick up a scent that way. Good thing that her house was only one story, it might be hard to get an accurate scent if she was in a room up on another floor.

Laura woofed softly and let Derek lean in front of her to open the door, jumping out of the passenger seat and onto the sidewalk. Derek would casually drive around the neighborhood for a bit and then park, calling out for her. At least this way, no one would call the cops on him… he was rather broody and it made people suspicious- he should work on that! Laura easily leapt over the fence, separating the front from the back. According to her ears, there were two heartbeats in the front of the house, along with television noises, and then one just around the corner. Erica must have a bedroom looking out on the backyard, perfect! She loped over to the window, seeing the light on, also good!

"Woof!"

Erica startled a bit, not used to hearing dog barks, even soft ones. Curious as to why that had sounded so close, Erica got off the bed and peeked out her curtain. Then she squeaked and stepped back, an enormous black dog looking in her window. But the dog didn't growl, just had its paws up on the sill and was looking in, panting. "Shoo, go home," Erica whispered, not wanting to make the dog aggressive or alert her parents, they might call animal control or something.

Laura wagged her tail and perked her ears forward, hoping she could coax the teen into opening the window, or coming outside, either one. Slowly, the blonde edge forward and unlocked the window, sliding it up just a fraction. Immediately Laura started sniffing at the crack, acting like an eager dog looking for a handout or for pets.

"Goooood puppy," Erica whispered, sliding the window open just a bit more, just enough for her to get her nose in. Then she held her hand out so the dog could sniff her; if there was any sound of growling, the window was getting shut again and she'd tell her parents. But instead a warm tongue darted out and licked at her fingers. Satisfied, and actually kind of happy the dog liked her, Erica slid the window open a smidge more, enough for the dog to poke their head through but not enough they would try to climb inside. "How did you get back here?"

Laura just continued to sniff Erica's hands, ears drooping a little as the heavy scent of Erica's disorder choked her senses. It was completely cloaking Erica's essence, just seeping out of her; it had been a long time since she'd met someone so overwhelmed by their disability. But Erica seemed so happy, so pure, gently scratching behind Laura's ears and smiling. Stiles was right, she didn't deserve to live like this. She was amazed that Isaac hadn't picked up on this at all, even with his complete inexperience in identifying scents. Honestly, Laura wanted to climb through the window and just cuddle with Erica, pull all the sadness from her but if a giant wolf came through her window, it would probably scare her.

"You're a good girl, and I see you have a collar- that's good. Although does that mean you escaped your yard? I'm sure your owner is very worried about you," Erica cooed, rubbing noses with the dog. Just then, they heard a whistle, and someone calling out.

"Jackie! C'mere girl!"

Laura huffed out with laughter, feeling Derek's discomfort. He hated calling her like this since he knew that not only was she Human, she was his older sister. Laura didn't mind, she knew the façade they had to play and didn't hold it against him. Although they had one hell of a time coming up with a name for her… Obviously they couldn't use Laura, since if anyone saw Derek and recognized him as Derek Hale, they'd question why he'd named his dog after his sister. Blackie had been too common Laura argued though, really he was so unimaginative! So… they settled on Jackie, something similar to Blackie, easy to remember, but it made Derek feel a little more comfortable to use a Human name and not a dog name.

"Oh, sounds like your Owner is looking for you, you better go before you get in trouble," Erica told her, smiling.

Laura gave her one more lick as a goodbye and then pushed away from the window. In a few bounds she was back around the corner and over the fence, trotting up to Derek.

"There you are, come on," Derek chided, just in case anyone had been looking out the window. He led her over to the car and opened the front seat for her, since she was going to stay as a wolf until they got to the house. But even like this, Laura could communicate with him and his head was filled with the scent that the Alpha had gotten from the teen. "She's that bad? Does that mean we're going to talk to Chris?"

Laura nodded her head. It was going to take some time, explain just how bad the poor girl was and then discuss how to approach her with it. But Chris and Victoria were sure to understand and help them approach the family. Hopefully Erica wouldn't freak out about it though, that was always the most dangerous part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more exploration with the Pack bond stuff, yay!!! Also, I want all of you to know that I actually looked into how scoring works for bowling and legit filled out quick score cards for all four of them. I wanted to give them a realistic score instead of just pulling a number out of thin air and I figured the best way to do that was to make up a game for them. But then I had to learn how to score it!!! It isn't super hard, it's just not... it's a bit weird if you aren't used to it. So yea, I wrote up 10 frames for all four of them and totaled it, wooooo!! Just to come up with realistic numbers for you all lol


	19. Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Isaac invite some friends over to hang out while Scott has his double shift at the clinic. Kate and Allison spend some time together. Laura and Derek talk with the Argents about Erica, and then Sunday dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> licia is here! I didn't want to have her as a missing child or anything so she's totally included in this fic =) I'd say she's about... idk 9? And she and Stiles are good friends =D

*Saturday*

"I'm off to work, I'll be home in a few hours!" Scott called out, since his mom was in the bedroom.

"Be safe!" she called back, poking her head out the door so she could wave to him. At first Melissa had been nervous about him going back to work after break, because of the wild animal stories. She knew the truth now and it was a relief to see him looking so carefree and happy to go back to the vet clinic. As a mother she was still going to worry but now all the things from before seemed so small- a broken arm from lacrosse? No big thing. A concussion? Not likely. He'd heal from things like that now in minutes, and as a nurse that was absolutely mind boggling. As she went back to folding clothes, the cold reality hit her though. Now Scott and Isaac had to worry about things like Hunters and other Werewolves… How could Melissa protect them from those things? How could she protect them from people she had no idea how to identify? Maybe… maybe her and John should set up another meeting with Chris at some point, see if he could give them any pointers… The laughter coming from down in the living room helped ease her mind though, their boys were strong, and would continue to be strong, even in this new world.

"Dude, Stiles, stop camping!" Isaac complained while laughing. Sometimes game physics were just awful- he'd just watched his body go flying across the ground after Stiles had shot him.

"Stop going the same way every single time then!"

Isaac gaped at Stiles, "The level only has like…. Two paths! I can't just go back and forth, that's just as predictable!"

"There are more than two! I mean, there are the two main branches, but there's all the side tunnels and stuff you can do! I mean… you do know you can break the windows and hop inside, right?"

"I… I can?"

"Yea… although the sound of the glass carries so I mean, it gives me a better chance of finding you. But that's if you aren't doing the glass as a decoy."

"Is… is that why I'm never able to kill you?!"

Stiles laughed some more, "Out of all the times we played this game, you never knew you could do that? Seriously, I thought Scott was the oblivious one! He just never crouches, so I always hear him coming around the corner! Wow Isaac."

"I… I'm not great at FPSs, sue me. I can still kick your ass at Mario Kart!"

"Yea but it's no fun with just us two… the AI is way too easy…"

Isaac brightened and pulled out his phone, "Why don't we see if Erica, Ran, and Boyd can come over then?"

"Dude, yea! That would be cool! Mario Kart tournament! I'll just double check with Mom real quick."

As Stiles went upstairs to ask Melissa if having a few friends over would be okay, Isaac sent out a group message to their three friends.

_I: Hey, are you guys free? Stiles and I wanna have a MK tournament and see who's the best!_   
_E: What time? I'm doing chores now but in like… an hour?_   
_B: Can I bring Alicia? I don't want to leave her here alone…_   
_R: Wait… who's who here? I only have Isaac's number…_   
_I: Oh, crap sorry, I didn't even think about that…I also messaged Erica and Boyd, and that's Ran everyone._   
_E: Hiiii, this one is Erica =D_   
_B: so by default, I'm Boyd lol_   
_I: oh and as far as I know it's fine to bring Alicia, Stiles is double checking with Mom right now to make sure it's okay_

Just then Stiles hopped over the back of the couch, "Mom says sure, just as long as we don't totally empty out the fridge when we make snacks."

Isaac laughed, "I'm sure we'll figure something out. I mean, you have a Jeep, and we all have money so we can like pitch in for pizza or something."

_R: Okay, numbers saved, although, I can't make it. I'm visiting my aunt and uncle right now with my parents… won't be home for a few hours, maybe next time?_   
_E: awww, well spending time with family is nice too =)_   
_I: Aww, I'll try to give more notice next time. And Boyd, Alicia is fine to come too, as long as she doesn't mind being with all us older kids. Did you need a ride Erica?_   
_E: Depends, Boyd?_   
_B: Yea, I'll just come get you when you're done with chores and we can all head over together_   
_I: Alright, see you all in about an hour!_

"Ran can't come but Boyd and Erica can, and Boyd is bringing Alicia so she isn't left home alone."

"Alright, that means we're going to be kicking butt!" Stiles whooped.

"You're just excited because little Alicia loves you," Isaac teased.

"What? I'm good with kids! I think on their level… wait… that sounds bad for me…"

"Yea, Scott is good with animals and you're good with kids, makes perfect sense. Although what about me?"

"You're good with parents, remember when we took Allison to the party? Her parents probably liked you the most, just saying."

"Naw, they seemed to like Scott," Isaac frowned.

"Well, I mean yea, Scott's a sweety, and I'm sarcastic but he was a nervous mess that first night and you were pretty collected so you probably made the best impression out of the three of us is what I meant."

"Oh, gotcha, well, anyways, they won't be here for about an hour since Erica has chores, which gives me time to kick your ass at this game!"

Stiles laughed and unpaused the game, "Please! That isn't nearly enough time for you to catch up with my skill at this game!"

*Argent House/Mall*

Allison sighed and flopped down onto the couch, staring at her phone; she had stayed up late texting Scott and had been smiling the whole time. But he had work today and they couldn't really talk- a double shift too. Maybe she should text Lydia? Odds were high that she was with Jackson though…

"What's with the heavy sigh girly?" Kate asked, sitting in one of the armchairs.

"Bored… Scott has work right now so we can't do anything and I'm pretty sure Lydia is with her boyfriend today."

"Well, I'm free, why don't we go shopping? We can gossip!"

Allison brightened, "Yea, that sounds like fun. We haven't gotten to do much together since I've been in school all week. I'll go get dressed!"

Kate smiled and sipped at her coffee, as long as Victoria didn't decide to tag along, she and Allison could have a fun conversation. It only took a few minutes for Allison to get ready and they excused themselves from the house. Victoria had give Kate a bit of a suspicious look but that was probably more along the lines of a warning- no guns! How boring but that wasn't what she was going to be doing. Kate had a different mission today.

"So, have you found any good stores here? It's been forever since I was here last."

"Um, the mall has some good stores, and there are a lot in Brady Springs but that's a bit far. I can't believe I don't remember much about this place…" Allison commented. She knew that she lived here when she was young and that they moved in the middle of the year. What if she had met Scott back then? Nothing came to mind whenever she wracked her brain though; she kept trying to remember what kids she'd gone to school with back then. Allison had half a mind to pull out her old yearbooks but that meant climbing around in the attic and there were tons of boxes… There were plenty of schools in Beacon Hills anyways, it was unlikely that they'd gone to the same school back then. But she thought that maybe she'd remember hearing about Isaac… Even if she wouldn't have understood the situation at the time, news like that would have spread through the school if they'd all be at the same place. Plus Scott didn't mention remembering her either so she wasn't sure why she was so worried about it. Maybe it was just the thought of possibly having friends like them early on. Maybe then she wouldn't feel so lost…

"What's up? You look really deep in thought and I have a feeling it has nothing to do with our shopping trip… wanna talk?" Kate asked, sparing her niece a glance.

"I was just thinking… I used to live here, I know it wasn't for super long but I don't really remember being here… I moved so much back then that I had a hard time keeping my school names straight… And I know moving around all the time made me kinda shy in the friends department. Scott and his brothers… They are just so close you know? I kinda wish I had something like that. Maybe then I'd be a little better at this high school thing."

Kate frowned, "You aren't bad at the high school thing, it's impossible to be an Argent and be bad! So you're shy, what does that matter? You have Lydia, she seems like a strong friend and you've only been here a little while. You get good grades too, that's important. You don't have to have tons of friends to survive high school, just a few good ones. I know we moved around a lot when I was little too, so I can totally sympathize with you."

"Yea but you had Dad… you weren't alone…"

"That's true. You can't change the fact that you're an only child though; what you can do is make lifelong friends now. Even if you move from here again, keep in touch with the friends you've made. It helps."

"We better not be moving, Dad promised!" Allison huffed.

"I know Allison, and I do really think he plans on staying here this time. They bought a nice house, like actually bought it this time."

"That's… that's true, our last few houses were just rented. Maybe that is a good sign!"

"And, I may not be a sister, but I'm an aunt and I can be just as close. We can share secrets," Kate offered with a smile.

Allison laughed, "What secrets could you possibly have Aunt Kate?"

"Oh, I have a few really juicy secrets- your parents would kill me if I told you…"

"But I mean… are they like… bad secrets? If my parents know about it and don't want to tell me…"

"It's not a bad or a good secret, it's just a truth. And honestly it makes me mad that they haven't told you… I was told when I was like 8." Kate smiled internally- Allison was taking the bait, now Kate just had to carefully get her a little more interested.

"Does… Dad isn't doing anything illegal right?! I mean, with all the guns and stuff, and we have a lot of money… like a lot! People have teased me about it before, how we're always moving and that selling guns on the level that Dad does is super shady…"

"No, he isn't a gun runner, I promise, and neither am I. Although, the secret does have to do with the guns; your archery is also tied to it. Your parents don't want you around guns, despite them being all over the house. But they did still teach you something about our… lifestyle, when they had you take the archery lessons."

"Our lifestyle?"

"Yea, archery is just as much a part of what we do as guns, blades, all of it. But, I don't want to overwhelm you, I mean it's a super big secret. Just, you do at least believe me that we aren't illegal sellers right?"

"Yea, I mean, I've always wanted to believe Dad when he said that, and I know he always renews his license and everything but… there's always the voice in the back of your head, you know? But yea, it makes me feel better having you tell me too. But now I'm curious Aunt Kate! You can't just tell me half of some secret and then not tell me the rest!" Allison said, pouting.

"But you might not believe me… I don't have any proof with me right this minute besides just my word. I want to have proof before I tell you the full secret, fair? Once I have proof, I'll tell you all about it. Although you have to promise now that you won't tell your parents I'm telling you."

"I, okay yea, I can wait for proof. And I won't tell. But can… how come they haven't told me yet?" Wow, if Aunt Kate needed proof, this must be one hell of a secret! "And does this have anything to do with when you first came to visit?"

"Because they are treating you like a child- the same reason they won't let you touch a gun. Sorry to say it so harshly but, that's what they are doing." Kate paused a moment, what exactly was Allison referring to? "What about when I first came here?"

"I knew it! I've asked Mom _and_ Dad about letting me take some lessons, learn more about all the different guns we have around the house and they always just tell me no. I mean, even kids are allowed to get a hunting license in California at like… 12 I think. If 12 year olds can handle guns so can I! And um… well… When Dad left to go get you, he mentioned that… you had a flat tire and he had to help you change it. But then when I saw you in the morning, you said that you needed a jump. One or both of you was lying and I just… it's weird…"

"I completely agree, you're more than capable of handling a firearm. I've tried talking to them about it too but they always tell me that they are your parents and not me." Kate looked over at Allison as she parked the SUV in the parking lot. She was a lot more observant than Chris and Victoria thought. "I'm actually glad you noticed that, that's great. And we only lied because your parents are keeping the secret, so yea, it had everything to do with the secret. The truth was I needed his help, I ran into some trouble- and not car kind. I wanted backup, so I called him. The truth, the car ended up with a broken window but that wasn't a big deal at all. I promise, it will all make sense when I tell you the whole story, but, let's not dwell on that, we'll get through to that eventually. Today is a shopping day."

"Yea, let's not think about them and their stupid rules," Allison agreed, hopping out of the car. "They just want to treat me like a kid but at least you're going to tell me the truth, soon-ish. Just as long as I know there was something behind the car story, I can handle that." Today was going to be fun, she was determined. Aunt Kate might even tell her a secret! She always knew that her parents were hiding something from her, but Allison had been content to keep her eyes closed to the weirdness. Now that Aunt Kate was willing to bring her into the fold though, she couldn't wait to finally find out the truth!

*Stilinski House*

When the doorbell rang, Stiles managed to kill Isaac one last time before he'd paused the game.

"Dude, no fair! The doorbell!"

"Hey, all's fair in love and war right? This is war," Stiles smiled before switching off the game. "Go let them in while I switch systems. And don't complain when you get your butt kicked in Mario Kart too."

"Oh, keep it up! We'll see who's crying by the end of the day," Isaac called out as he went to the front door. When he opened it, Boyd and Erica were both smiling at him.

"Sounds like you two started without us," Erica teased.

"No, Stiles and I were playing Counter Strike, he's really good at it. I'm much better with racing games though."

"Not better than me!" Alicia called out. "I'm a kid and kids are just better at games!"

Isaac pretended to frown at her, "Is that so? Well I guess we'll see after today won't we?"

"I call Stiles on my team!" Alicia called out, racing into the living room.

"Wait, teams?" Erica asked, following her inside. "I thought it was everyone for themselves in racing games…"

Isaac laughed, "Not in Double Dash, two players can team up and ride in the same kart."

"What? Wow… I certainly missed out on that… what happened to the N64 version?" Erica sighed.

Boyd shook his head, "The newer versions are single rider as well, but Double Dash is fun, I play with Alicia all the time."

"Someone has to sit out... Only four people can play at a time…" Stiles mentioned, pulling out the controllers.

"I'll sit out the first round, let me see how this version is played first," Erica offered.

"Alright, that means you and me Boyd!" Isaac said, high-fiving his friend.

Stiles took the first controller and plopped down on the couch, Alicia at his feet, ready to go. Since Alicia seemed to be the most excited for the game, they let her explain the details to Erica as they went through and picked their characters and karts. The first few rounds Isaac and Boyd were absolutely slaughtered before Erica finally took pity on Boyd and swapped places with him, partnering with Isaac. But Alicia and Stiles were unstoppable together, even Isaac, who usually did very well in Mario Kart didn't really do well in the partner section.

"Why don't we just do individuals? Like I am not used to this at all…" Erica complained after two rounds. She liked Mario Kart too but this was just weird, having to coordinate with Isaac perfectly- how was Stiles doing it? Alicia had only seen Stiles a few times, and yea, they hit it off, Stiles was great with her but how?

"But I like teams better," Alicia pouted.

"Aww, but they aren't having fun now because we're just too good," Stiles told her. "Why don't we try changing teams?"

"But…"

"It'll be more fun of we switch, and then the four of us can play single since you don't like single that much, fair?" Stiles offered.

Alicia nodded, "Yea, but I wanna team with my brother then."

"Alright, you and me then Erica, let's show them what we got!" Stiles cheered.

"What? I thought you'd want to team with Isaac…" Erica murmured, surprised.

Isaac shrugged, "You already have to controller. Besides, Stiles and I have teamed on this before, Scott too. We've all switched around and figured out that Scott and Stiles can usually almost beat me as much as I beat them together. My play style just isn't adapted to co-op like this. But I am interested to see how you two do."

Erica blushed at the smirk he sent her way, why did he have to say it like that? Now Stiles was probably going to figure it out… "But I wasn't that good at it either."

"But I'm really good at it, and I noticed how you play, I can easily adapt. You be the driver though."

"Oh, um, yea, sure… sounds good."

"Heh, you can try but my brother and I have lots of practice together!" Alicia stated, picking her favorite character.

"Oh 'Leesh, you know me better than that. I'm the master at adapting!"

Boyd laughed as they got ready to start the round, "Don't blame me when we lose." He could see it in Stiles's eyes, he was planning on making his sister eat video game dust. That was one of the things he liked about Stiles though, and he's sure that was what Alicia liked too- he didn't baby her. Sure, he still did kid stuff with her like play pretend but he also knew when Alicia could handle losing; plus he didn't rub it in her face obnoxiously. And maybe Boyd wanted to help Erica, let her have a win while partnering with Stiles. Alicia would understand... maybe.

Isaac was watching carefully, not sure what was going to happen. Alicia was obviously intent on winning, and she was good at this game, it was one of her favorites but…he could see that Stiles was hell bent on winning too, shouldn't he just let the kid win? That wasn't Stiles's style though, he was all about keeping things realistic. Erica seemed unsure mostly but she'd go with the flow and do her best. So it would be Boyd that decided things here, and Isaac had a feeling that he was scheming.

By the time they were starting on the final lap, Alicia was absolutely worked up, standing up and bouncing as they raced around the track. "Come on, come on, star, use the star!" she ordered, pushing the joystick so she was one a collision course with the other kart. But right as Boyd pushed it, Stiles laughed and used a mushroom as Erica took evasive action.

"Vernon! You waited too loooooong!" Alicia pouted as Erica and Stiles crossed the finish line, the two of them high-fiving.

"Wait, what?" Stiles asked, blinking and looking over at Boyd.

"What?"

"She called you Vernon…"

Boyd raised a brow, "Well yea, that's my name…"

"I…but…"

"Everyone at school calls me Boyd, but that's my last name… I'm in ROTC so it's kind of a habit to use last names. It's just kinda stuck since then so that's how I introduce myself."

Stiles gaped, "I feel absolutely stupid now… Isaac did you know this?!"

"Obviously, I have classes with him so I hear his name everyday when we call roll. You don't have any classes with him and I introduced him as Boyd so… You had no reason to know…"

"I am the son of the Sheriff, of course I should know these things!" Stiles argued.

Erica laughed though, patting his arm, "Don't worry about it, no one is really allowed to call him that anyways, only family. I tried once and he said it was awkward and felt weird, so even I call him Boyd."

"People call you by our last name?" Alicia asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes they do, don't worry about it."

"And on that note, time for pizza?" Isaac offered, holding up his phone.

All of them agreed, and decided to just get it delivered, that way they didn't have to drive anywhere. The group continued to play while they waited, Alicia taking a break to dramatically sigh and pout over her loss to Stiles.

"I retire, I can never, ever play again, not when I've lost to the big kids," she mumbled into the couch cushions. But really she wouldn't give up, she'd practice and practice until she could come back and challenge them again.

When the pizza arrived, all of them headed into the kitchen and talked about classes while they ate. Little Alicia was looking up in awe as they explained how high school science classes worked, and that you got to do all sorts of experiments. Just as they were finishing up, Boyd's phone went off and he excused himself. When he came back in, he was frowning slightly.

"Hey, Mom wants us home Alicia, time to go."

"Already? Okay…"

"Does um, that mean Erica too?" Stiles asked, looking up from the sink as he rinsed the plates.

Erica bit her lip, "Mom just said I needed to be home before dinner and we don't eat until like 7 because Dad has a bit of a commute. Boyd's my ride though so…"

"I can totally give you a ride home later if you want to stay and hang out a bit longer," Stiles offered. His fingers were nervously tapping the plate he was holding, hoping that maybe she'd stay.

"Go ahead and stay, it's not fair that you'd have to go home early just because Alicia and I have to," Boyd commented, doing his best to keep his smile neutral. Was Stiles actually starting to notice Erica? She better agree to stay! He wasn't about to let her miss out on the opportunity now that Stiles wanted to spend time with her.

"Yea, you have to beat Stiles in my place now," Alicia added on, smiling at the blonde.

"I, well, okay then, sure, I'll stay."

"Sweet, maybe now you can help me kick Isaac's butt!"

Isaac frowned, "That's what I don't understand, just how in the heck are you so much better just by partnering with someone? I mean…I usually kick your butt at this game when it's just us…"

Stiles shrugged, "I don't know, it lets me focus on just one part and my partner can do the other. I don't have to try to drive _and_ hit you with items. Erica and I are good together!"

"Bye Stiles, Isaac, Erica, it was nice seeing you!" Alicia called out as Boyd led her to the door.

"Bye 'Leesh, see you again soon," Stiles answered before heading back into the living room. Only Isaac seemed to notice the pink flush Erica got because of Stiles's previous comment.

"Oh yea, Stiles, I um, I finished the comic you gave me although I didn't bring it… I have it in my backpack and didn't think to grab it." Erica was chewing on her lip again, nervous about saying or doing something stupid. Surely he had wanted to comic back asap, to make sure it didn't get lost or damaged.

"Awesome right?"

"Totally amazing," Erica agreed.

And just like the three of them forgot about the game as they became absorbed in the different merits of comic books and what Erica should read next. Before they knew it, Erica had gotten a text from her mom, reminding her to head home soon.

"Oh wow, I didn't realize it was already that late. I'll take you home then," Stiles said.

"Are you sure you want to let me borrow these?" Erica asked, a small stack of comics in her hands.

"Yea, I mean, I enjoyed them and you're looking for new comics to read, so why not lend you my favorites? You're allowed to not like them of course, but it will give you more of an idea of what you're looking for. Maybe then we could head to the comic book store and find something for you."

Erica smiled brightly, "Yea, that would be cool."

"Thanks for coming over, it was nice to hang out, sorry it was so last minute though," Isaac said, walking them both to the door.

As they got into the Jeep, Erica turned to Stiles, taking a deep breath before just blurting out what she was thinking. If she thought about it, she'd change her mind. "Thanks… for being so nice to me. I know that we only kinda got to know each other because of Isaac but I mean, you didn't have to be nice to me just because I'm friends with your brother."

"Well I mean, you're a cool person, you and Boyd. If you were kinda stuck up I might not have been so eager to be your friends but you aren't like that at all. I'm glad I got to know you better, now I have someone to talk to about all my nerdy hobbies. Well, I have Scott and Isaac too but I've like… always had them, you know? You're someone that doesn't have to like my hobbies because I made you read the comics growing up. And… I… um," Stiles cleared his throat, not really sure how to proceed. What if… what if he made things weird? He knew that he was the strange, hyperactive kid at school and it made him a bit of a hassle… "Feel free to say no… I don't want to make things weird but um… I was… thinking, next week, um…"

"Yea?"

"Maybe Friday, if you aren't busy, we could… do something? Like, just us…"

Erica stared, "Like a date?"

"Yea- if that's too weird, you can say no, I know that you're Isaac's friend and I'm his brother and if you don't want to, I won't make it awkward I swear! I just… want to spend some time with you… alone, if that's okay."

"I'd really like that actually," Erica mumbled, smiling and looking down at her lap.

"Y-you would? I, yea awesome! I haven't actually… planned anything, I didn't want to get carried away in case you said no but I'll totally come up with something," Stiles promised, perking up a bit as he drove. She'd said yes?!

"I'm sure we can come up with something before Friday," she assured him. "Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it. Um, I'll text you?"

"Yea, totally. I don't mind driving people. And yea, of course, message me whenever, I always have my phone. I just don't text and drive, with Dad being the Sheriff and all," Stiles laughed.

"Good! I'd hate for you to get in a crash or something."

"Psh, never, I'm an awesome driver. I um, well, I'll see you Monday then."

"Yea, see you Monday," Erica said. She waved to Stiles as she got to the door, smile on her face; she couldn't wait to text Boyd and tell him she actually said yes to a date with Stiles!

*Argent House*

Laura and Derek parked in the Argent's driveway and climbed out of the car. It had been a surprise to get a response so early. Laura had messaged Victoria the other night, about needing to talk with them about something and then this morning they said that Kate was out today. So they had hopped into the Camaro and headed to the house. Cora had opted out of going, saying that she'd had enough of the Argents for awhile, she could only do so much and going to their house was crossing the line. Something about feeling like a betrayal. Laura wasn't going to push the topic, although she was surprised that Derek had decided to come. He'd told her it was because he was her Second and that he wasn't going to let their Alpha go into enemy territory alone. Cora would be fine at the motel for a few hours. Laura chuckled to herself, with the way Derek was talking, it was as if he forgot he was technically an Alpha now too.

"Hey, come on in. I've told Allison to message me whenever they leave the mall so you'll have plenty of warning. Come on in," Victoria welcomed. "Chris is in the garage, he'll join us in just a moment."

"Thanks for seeing us so last minute, I know I messaged you a bit late last night."

The group of them went into the living room, Derek standing tense and on edge. Laura bodily pulled him down onto the couch and glared at him, willing him to relax a bit. It wasn't like Kate was here right now, it was fine. Both of them were capable adults that could handle sitting on a couch for an hour. This wasn't about them, it was about Erica.

"Hey, I'm here now, what's up? No more problems with my sister right?" Chris asked, coming in and wiping his hands on a rag.

"No, this isn't about her, this is about something else entirely. Although we're here because of the pact, rule one."

"Rule one… Alpha Bites? Has someone approached you?" Victoria asked. After getting two new Betas in one night, it didn't really seem like Laura would be looking for another just yet. So that meant someone must have asked, "Stiles?"

"No, not Stiles. I think he's fine with being Human. It's um, someone else though, a friend of theirs… she has Epilepsy. They're worried about her because her medicine hasn't been helping and she's been to going to the doctor more often. I went by her house last night, just to see how she was and I haven't encountered someone that sick in awhile."

"How can you tell?"

"When people are sick, it affects their scent, which is how they've been training dogs to sniff out cancer, or detect when a seizure is coming, alerting their owners with time to prepare, stuff like that. Normally it's something that a Wolf can sense, be made aware of over time. But when I saw her… it was so overpowering. If I could share it with you I would, I was able to share it with Derek and he was just as surprised as I was. I think she should be offered the Bite, it isn't fair that she has to live with something that awful. And I don't mean awful as in seizures are worse to deal with than other disorders that are out there, I mean awful as in the severity of it. She isn't… Erica is letting it consume her, I can tell. She's losing hope that she'll ever get better, and that… she's only 16. I even know that it's kinda unfair that things like this are only offered to our inner circle, limited to only those we know but I never thought she'd be so bad when I agreed to at least go see her."

"Maybe one of these days it will be an option, we can find a way to heal people without the need for them to choose between health and their humanity- of having to become something 'more' than Human. And maybe that would be a time when Weres didn't have to hide either…" Victoria commented. The odds of something like that happening were basically negative, beyond zero. Derek's disbelieving snort echoed her thoughts.

"Does she have what it takes to survive the Bite?" Chris asked.

Laura chewed on her lip, "I don't even know… I was so shocked by what I did smell that I didn't even check for that. But it doesn't matter, since she's young I'd guarantee the Bite. But because she's underage, I have to run it by you first."

"That's right, I forgot," Chris mumbled. When Victoria had told him about that after the meeting with the Stilinskis… he'd been just as amazed. "What are the odds she'll accept? And that if she doesn't, that she'll keep quiet?"

"I think… I think the odds are good that she would accept but even if she declined, Erica seems to be good friends with Isaac and the boys, I don't know why she'd risk saying anything to put their lives in danger. And one of their other friends has found out already."

"How?" Victoria asked. Wasn't Laura supposed to watch the boys?

"It was before we even dealt with the Rogue, when I was trying to keep Isaac's identity a secret- at least until he was in my Pack. He had a flashback… to when he was a child. Ran, their friend, was there and saw him. She wasn't hurt at all, just freaked out, but Stiles explained things to her and she seems to understand."

"Flashback? What happened to him as a child?" Chris asked.

"I… you heard about what happened to the Laheys, didn't you?"

He nodded and then his eyes widened, "They adopted him? I… I remember hearing about it on the news but of course they didn't go into details about him, just that he was the only one to survive."

"He was only 6… he still remembers what happened to him? Oh that poor boy, I had no idea…"

"He does well most days but he still has triggers. That was the first panic attack he's had in years though, it was unexpected. Stiles was there and was able to help him shift back before anyone else saw," Laura whispered, feeling awful all over again for what Isaac had been through as a little boy.

"No wonder they feel obligated to help Erica out as well… I think we should at least bring it up with her and depending on how she feels, tell her parents," Victoria decided.

Laura slouched in relief, she'd been ready to keep pushing because she wasn't sure how she'd face the boys and tell them the Argents said no. "Thank you. Do you want to be present when we tell Erica or have the boys tell her and then go from there?"

The two looked at each other, deciding something before Chris answered, "Maybe the boys should tell her. We'd want you there of course, just to gauge her reaction in a more experienced manner than the boys but they know her best. They'd probably know the easiest way to break it to her."

"And about tomorrow… the family dinner?"

"We're going to do our best to keep things… calm. Kate has no reason to suspect Scott so she shouldn't really interrogate him too much. It should go just as awkward as first family dinners go," Chris said with a sigh. The only good thing was that Chris at least knew Scott a little bit and liked him, which would make it easier to try and protect him from Kate. He was all about the code but if Jackson was the one that had been Bitten and was having dinner with them, he would be hard pressed to not just let Jackson drown in Kate's questions.

Derek nodded, "Good. Scott… he should be okay but he's still really new to this. I hope he doesn't cause a scene."

"Thank you, for listening to us. And for watching out for Scott tomorrow," Laura said, standing up from the couch.

"Wait, before you go…" Victoria started, looking at her husband. She hadn't had time to talk to him about this but, she felt it was something that needed to be discussed. "I wanted to tell you… exactly why we moved back here, to Beacon Hills."

"So you did move back here for more than a Rogue that was killing people," Laura acknowledged.

"Yes, although we do think that was the starting point. We know of a Seer, one that the Argents have spoken with many times. She warned us that bad things were going to be happening here and that Beacon Hills needed to be protected. We didn't get any details, just the warning. At the time we had no idea you'd be coming back here too, we didn't think you'd ever really come back, not after the fire. That's why we decided to make a move instead of approaching you about it first. I think it's only fair to warn you that something big might be coming…"

"Have you decided what you are going to do? About living in Sacramento now that you've got two new Betas," Chris asked.

"Yea, I was already thinking of coming back here, maybe rebuild the house and move in there. Just because, even though it is painful, it's still home. Coming back here just feels right- Cora's been pushing for us to stay anyways. But now that you've received a warning, I don't think we should leave. Not that we don't trust you to take care of the town of course, just that it wouldn't be right of us to leave it all on your shoulders."

Derek fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of staying, of facing his past. But Beacon Hills was his home, and if something was coming, he wanted to be here to defend it. And it wasn't like they could uproot Scott and Isaac, and of course, Laura couldn't be a proper Alpha to them when she lived in a different city. Not with them being so inexperienced, it just wasn't practical. What an interesting turn of events really, both the Hales and the Argents returning to this town at the same time, just before disaster was supposed to strike. Derek hoped they'd all be ready for it, whatever it might be.

*Sunday*

*Argent House*

Kate leaned into Allison's room, "Psst, c'mere for a second, I want to give you something."

Allison hopped off her bed and followed her Aunt into the guest room, "A present? How come?"

"It has to do with the stuff I was telling you about yesterday," Kate whispered, shutting the door behind Allison. Since the opportunity to spend time alone with her niece had come so abruptly, Kate hadn't had time to give her the bottle of Wolfsbane yesterday. But since Kate knew that there was at least one rogue Beta (maybe Omega if Laura hadn't taken him in) roaming around Beacon Hills… and she couldn't tell for sure but they seemed to be about Allison's age as well. She just wanted her niece to be safe at school and while out and about.

"Oh right, cool!" she whispered back, face lighting up.

"I can't really explain right now, just because I know it's almost time for Scott to come over for dinner but this is for you."

Allison tilted her head and peeked in the bag, seeing a body spray bottle filled with a pretty purple liquid. "Oh perfume? Wait… what does…"

"It will protect you. It doesn't have a super strong scent so it should be okay to wear almost every day. Personally I like the way it smells so I hope you do too."

"Protect me?" the teen giggled a bit. "Aunt Kate, are you superstitious? How is a perfume supposed to protect me?"

Kate smiled at her niece, "I'm not superstitious, just knowledgeable about a lot of things. Trust me on this okay? For the most part you won't even notice anything, it will just be a perfume. But one day you'll notice something and you'll be glad you're wearing it."

"If you say so. I know I said I'd wait for you to tell me so I can't ask questions," Allison said. Mostly it was to prove to her aunt that she could be patient- that she wasn't a child! "Do I have to put it somewhere safe or do you think just my bathroom is fine? I mean, if Mom sees it?"

"Bathroom should be fine. It doesn't have a name on the bottle or anything but she really has no reason to see it and realize I've told you about the secret. And if you happen to notice anyone have a… strange or noticeable reaction to you when you're wearing it, tell me."

"Ok, just checking. Thank you." As she went to put it in the bathroom, Allison took the bottle out and unscrewed the top so she could sniff it. "Oh she's right, it isn't strong," she mumbled to herself. That was good, she would hate to be one of those people that just flooded a room with a smell, especially since strong smells could trigger things like asthma. But this seemed completely doable. "Might as well see if Scott notices and likes it." She sprayed some in the air and then walked through it, satisfied that it wasn't too much. Just as she was putting it away in her cabinet, the doorbell rang. She rushed down the stairs and pulled the door open, ignoring the look from her mom, "Hi Scott!"

"Hey!" Scott smiled, face lighting up at her enthusiasm. "I'd give you a hug but um, arms are full," he laughed, lifting the bowl of macaroni salad he'd help make.

"Here, I'll take it," Allison offered. "Hey Mom, is there room in the refrigerator for this?"

"Um, let me check, we might have to move some stuff around. Nice to see you again Scott, dinner should be ready soon." Victoria smiled to herself, appreciating that Allison was actually super excited about Scott. It had been awhile since her daughter had enjoyed school so much.

"Thanks for having me," Scott commented, clearing his throat a bit. Where did that tickle come from and why wasn't it going away? "Can I have some water?"

"Yea of course, in the kitchen," Allison told him, leading the way. She set the bowl on the counter while her mom made room in the fridge, then she grabbed a glass for Scott.

Scott smiled, "Thanks, something's in my throat."

"Let's go watch some TV while we wait, is that okay Mom?"

"Yea, that's fine," Victoria said, nodding her head.

Scott continued to clear his throat, feeling like he really needed to cough all of a sudden and it was weird. When Allison finally pulled him in for a hug he also felt his Wolf flinch and his heart pounded in his chest. What was going on? Luckily Allison didn't seem to notice, just plopping down on the couch next to her dad.

"How are you doing Scott?"

"I'm, um, good," Scott muttered with a grimace.

Chris frowned and looked closer at the boy, alarm rising as he saw Scott's eyes flash amber for a moment. "Hey Allison, I know your mom said it was fine but why don't you go offer her some help. I know she'd appreciate it. Scott can always stay awhile after dinner so it's not like you're pressed for time with him."

"But… yea okay, I hardly get to cook with Mom. That's okay right Scott?" Allison asked. Plus Dad had this look on his face that she knew better to argue with. He was probably going to put on his whole 'let me show you my gun collection' attitude… but Scott could totally handle that.

"Huh, yea it's no problem, I'm sure your mom would like help," Scott smiled, blinking as his eyes had trouble focusing.

"Let's go have a chat in the garage," Chris offered, knowing that Allison would assume he was doing his usual 'Dad' act.

"Dad, be nice! Aunt Kate still hasn't met him yet!"

"Um, okay," Scott was lost and a little worried now.

As they were getting up to head into the garage, Kate came down the stairs, "Don't skin him alive just yet Bro, I'd like to have someone to talk to during dinner."

Scott offered her a terrified smile, this was Kate… the dangerous Hunter… Maybe going into the garage with Mr. Argent wasn't the worse place to be. The longer he put off meeting Kate, the better.

"What's going on?" Chris asked, pulling the boy to the far wall so he'd know no one was eavesdropping.

"I don't know… why?"

"Your eyes were flashing a moment ago. Allison didn't notice and they'd stopped when Kate came down, I was the only one to see."

"I… I don't know… I can't… It just started when I got here. Is there something in the house maybe? It's not so bad out here…"

Chris shook his head, "No, we do all the loading out here so if anything this is where it would be the worst. But we're all extremely careful with our Wolfsbane. Unless… dammit!"

"What?" Scott asked, worried.

"Kate has always had this… Wolfsbane perfume stuff although she usually only wears it when she's looking for an unknown Were. There's no reason she'd wear it for the dinner tonight… but maybe it's strong enough that it's triggering you. Crap, if it's too strong you won't be able to control your shift and then she'll find out about you…"

"And so would Allison," he whimpered, absolutely worried now. This was supposed to be a simple dinner… He knew Kate was dangerous but he didn't think the dinner would go this badly! Technically they hadn't even met yet, Scott had only just seen her in passing and already his cover was almost blown. He'd have to tell Isaac and Laura, let them know that this was a thing if they didn't already…

"I'll have to make her go change but I'm not sure how I do that without making her suspicious…"

"Umm… wait, tell her I have asthma. I do, did… before the Bite. Perfume is a trigger."

Chris nodded, "Good thinking, I can tell her you started having a slight attack just as she came downstairs. Just wait here a second." He went back out into the living room, clearing his throat lightly. "Hey, Kate, quick question."

"Need some helping breaking the poor boy? I thought the dinner was supposed to be chill."

"No, nothing like that," he laughed. "I just… I know some times you wear some perfume and… are you wearing any now? I can't smell it and I know you don't usually wear anything really strong but…"

Kate frowned, "Actually I'm not, why?"

"Oh, you aren't? Scott started having a small asthma attack and I thought it might have been something you were wearing…" If it wasn't Kate… then where was the Wolfsbane coming from? Or was it something else?

"Is Scott okay?" Allison asked, eyes wide. "It… it might be mine! Aunt Kate um, got me some the other day while we were at the mall… I figured I'd try it and see if Scott liked it- I didn't know he had asthma! I'll change!"

"Yea, Scott's fine, it wasn't really bad. Just figured I'd ask so that way he can get through dinner without too much trouble," Chris assured her. But if Kate had given Allison the perfume… what was she playing at? And Chris couldn't even ask her about it since Scott was supposed to be having an asthma attack, not a Were reaction… But apparently Kate was suspicious now as well, her eyes were narrowed and she was looking between Allison and the garage. But Kate didn't bring it up and Chris had to pretend to be oblivious so he went back into the garage.

"Did she make a fuss?" Scott asked, nervously bouncing from foot to foot.

"Actually Kate wasn't the one wearing it…"

"Huh?"

Chris sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Apparently my sister got Allison some perfume the other day. What Kate was thinking, I don't know, I know it's probably some of the same stuff that she wears… but why did she give it to Allison? And she just wanted to wear it to see if you'd like it but she didn't know you had asthma and now she feels bad…"

"I… oh man…" Scott's face crumbled. Now, because of him, Allison was going to feel like she couldn't wear any kind of smelly stuff without triggering him. And while that may have been true if they'd met last semester, it didn't matter now… As long as it wasn't Wolfsbane stuff, obviously. But now she wouldn't and it was his fault.

"It's fine, we can deal with the repercussions later, let's just focus on getting through dinner first."

"Yea…"

The two of them reappeared, just as Allison was coming back down, new shirt on.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know… I saw you playing lacrosse and I just didn't even think that you might have asthma…" she apologized.

"It's okay, it's not like you did it on purpose. It wasn't even that strong so I didn't like… pick up on it right away, but apparently part of me did. I'm sorry you had to change because of me. I'm sure it smelled nice…"

Allison smiled at him, "Just as long as I'm not accidently trying to kill you, it doesn't matter. Dinner should be done soon, I was on my way to tell everyone that when I heard what Dad said."

"Sounds good, I can help set the table," Scott offered.

The two teens went off to the dining room and Chris was about to ask his sister a question when her phone dinged. He watched as she looked at her phone and then excused herself, apparently she didn't want to open it in front of him. Frustrated, Chris went into the kitchen to update his wife on all the strange behavior.

Once she was back in her room, Kate opened up her email; as soon as she had seen who it was from, Kate knew she couldn't risk opening it downstairs. It was from her friend in dispatch who'd finally managed to pull the records of that night for her.

_Kate,_   
_So it took some digging and you're going to owe me big for all this but I found the call you're looking for. Two teenage boys, trainyard, ambulance, animal attack, it's all there. I'll send a copy as an attachment as well just so you can read through the transcript yourself if you want. But, matching it up with the records from the hospital at the same time, the victim was a Scott Stilinski, with his brother Stiles as a witness. Report said something about a mountain lion I think. It was a scratch apparently, nothing mentioned about any "bites" like you were worried about. Hope all that helps. There were no calls mentioned whatsoever about a third teenage boy so I still can't help you with that other unknown._   
_-DJ_

It had been Scott? No wonder Chris hadn't wanted to tell her anything! Scott was here right now, he'd been attacked by the Rogue! There was no report of a bite, just scratches but… hadn't Dad mentioned something about scratches being able to turn someone, if they went deep enough? No… Scott had gone to school the next day, if his injuries had been that bad there is no way the hospital would have released him- especially if they'd healed miraculously by the next afternoon. But still, that meant at the very least the third unknown had to be their brother Isaac! Chris had known about them and hadn't told her! And now Allison was dating one of them! Even if Scott hadn't actually gotten turned, he was a brother to a monster now and was bound to be on their side instead of the Hunter side of the war. Dammit! As Kate was getting ready to head back down for dinner, she realized that Scott had had a reaction to the perfume. Sure, Chris had said it was an asthma attack but that would be a cover if he'd known for a fact Scott had been turned. Did her brother actively know that Scott was a Werewolf and still _wasn't_ telling Allison about all of this? Oh the nerve of him! Of course this meant that Laura had taken them in as well, so her Pack would be 5 strong now! Technically only three of them were Hales, but their Alpha was a Hale and that made it the Hale Pack. They were supposed to be dying out, not making a comeback! She'd have to do something about it… maybe tomorrow she'd go visit Laura and have a talk.

-after dinner-

Scott had finally relaxed, Kate had been super nice to him the whole night. Sure they asked all sorts of questions about him and his family, but it wasn't anything hostile, just questions trying to get to know him. And because Allison had changed, he didn't wolf out any more. All in all, he felt like it had been a good experience. They'd even hung out after dinner and dessert, watched a new show on TV. But it was time to go so Scott was saying his goodbyes.

Kate walked up to him, "You know… I hate to do this… we had such a good evening and everything but…"

"Aunt Kate?"

"Just how long have you had asthma Scott?"

Scott tilted his head, "Ever since I was young… I think my first attack was when I was like… 3? 3 or 4 I don't remember exactly, my mom would know though, why?"

"Oh, I'm just wondering because… the perfume really wasn't that strong, so I don't understand how you were triggered by it. If something as light as just her single perfume got to you, how can you survive going to school at all?"

"Um…"

"Aunt Kate, what are you trying to say?" Allison asked, frowning.

"Yea, I'm a little curious too," Victoria huffed, crossing her arms and looking at Kate.

"I'm just saying, he has an asthma attack because of some of Allison's body spray but yet Allison didn't even know he had asthma which means he hasn't had an attack at school. Do none of the girls at school wear perfume or body spray? None of the boys? If he just didn't like it, he could have told her, no need to guilt trip her with a fake asthma attack."

Chris bristled, she was suspicious, even though she had no reason to suspect that Scott had been turned. It had to be something with the message she'd gotten earlier! There was no other explanation as to why she would question his asthma. And Scott was looking like a deer caught in the headlights. They had no way to prove that Scott hadn't been lying about what set him off, and Kate was making a damn good argument.

Scott's heart was starting to pound, how could he fix this? He knew that this wasn't about not liking the perfume, it was about him having a reaction to it. Kate somehow knew that he'd been turned, although he was certain Mr. Argent hadn't said anything. And he couldn't just admit that he was a Were now… What was he going to do…?

"Aunt Kate, that's not nice… you're saying Scott faked a story about having asthma just because he didn't like my perfume. Scott isn't like that!"

"Oh honey, of course you don't want to believe he's like that but it's all just so suspicious."

"I don't know what to tell you… I think it's only a certain chemical that triggers me… I have never reacted to men's cologne, no matter how strong it might have been, and only some types of perfume. My mom wears some, whenever she and Dad have date nights and that's never triggered me either… It's rare that it affects me like that but it has happened, so it was a good thing I had my inhaler," Scott said. And it was true, Scott had never really reacted to perfume before but he did have asthma, at least for most of his life. He pulled his inhaler out of his pocket to emphasize his point, thankful that he had it! Even though for the past few days he hadn't needed it, it was just habit for him to grab it. It was always on his nightstand, by his phone so he'd always remember to take it with him. And he could see it, the moment Kate saw the inhaler, she'd deflated.

"Besides, if you really think he'd fake something like that, I'm sure his mom would be more than happy to document his condition," Victoria added on, amazed that Kate would accuse a kid of something like that. Sure, it would have been a red flag for her too if she didn't know Scott was a Were and that he'd reacted to a Wolfsbane perfume, but she would never outright accuse him of faking a condition like asthma.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I'm just… suspicious by nature. I've met a few pretty shady dudes in the past and I don't want something like that to happen to Allison. I'm sorry," Kate apologized, smiling at Scott.

"Told you he wasn't like that," Allison mumbled, sheparding her date outside. "I'm sorry, the night was going well enough, I can't believe she'd ask something like that…"

"It's okay. It probably was really weird to her, I mean she has a good point. Kids at school wear all kinds of smelly stuff and it has only rarely affected me. I've never thought about it, I just know that sometimes a smell will set me off but that it doesn't always. And I'm sure your aunt doesn't know too many people that have asthma so it's easy to assume someone is lying about what is a trigger and what isn't. I still consider tonight a good night," he assured her smiling.

"Good enough that um maybe… we can… tell people…?"

"Tell people? You mean like… make us official? Y-you wanna be my girlfriend?"

"Yes," Allison nodded, biting her lip.

Scott perked up, "I, yea! We can totally tell everyone we're dating now, that'd be awesome!"

"Cool! I'll um, see you school tomorrow then," Allison said, smiling.

"Yea, good night," Scott whispered before leaning in and kissing her sweetly. Then he practically skipped to the car (Mom had actually let him borrow it tonight) and drove home. He'd almost been outed as a Were but he got a girlfriend- officially! Tonight couldn't have gotten any better!


	20. A Cure; The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica learns some interesting news from Stiles and Isaac and then Allison decides (with Scott's help) to ask her parents about this 'secret' of theirs. Things come to a head, what will happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I know it's been forever, the school/class sections were really giving me a hard time for this story, I had a hard time filling in the "down time" in order to make the chapter at least a little longer. And then it was the holidays and the shopping so I was PLENTY busy buuut, here's a new chapter =D

*Monday*

The boys all got ready for school, Stiles's thumbs tapping the steering wheel as he drove to school. They'd talked about Erica last night and Stiles wanted to give her the information as soon as he could. Either she'd be willing to hear more, she'd call them idiots but would still be their friend, or she'd want nothing to do with them. If there was any possibility of it being the last one, he'd want to get it out of the way now. Isaac of course was extremely nervous, worried that his friends would ditch him and he'd be alone in his classes again. But Stiles was certain that, as long as they could offer proof, Erica would at least think about it. And he knew Laura would answer all of her questions, that Erica wouldn't be left in the dark about how her life would be changing. Plus, with the troubles she was having with her Epilepsy, she'd at least be willing to think about it… maybe this wasn't the right choice for her in the end, but she'd think about it. Surely she'd still be okay with being friends with all of them though…

"Dude Stiles, please stop being nervous… I'm the only one allowed to be nervous right now because Erica might totally disown me. I know you and her are friends now too but like, she's one of my best friends and if she decides that she wants nothing to do with me because of what I am… How will this affect our classes together?" Isaac whimpered, chewing on his nails.

"I'm sorry, I'm just like… you know me, I prepare for the worst. But we talked about it and I mean, the odds of her declining are low. And she seems open-minded right? That was why we decided to tell her. We're doing this because we're looking out for her."

"Well we also decided that it's okay for Boyd to be there, he's not going to freak out… right?" Scott asked, climbing out of the Jeep.

Isaac shook his head, "Naw, Boyd is quiet but he's very open-minded, we've had quite a few discussions on weird, off the wall topics and stuff. I'm just… it's nerve wracking to have to wait until lunch."

"What's happening at lunch?" Allison asked. She wasn't really sure if she was included in the conversation, and she wasn't trying to eavesdrop so might as well call attention to her presence now.

"Oh, Isaac and Stiles have to talk with Erica about something at lunch. Um, I was going to ask if maybe we could eat lunch somewhere together then?" Scott said. He kinda wanted to be there for his brothers but at the same time, he didn't want Allison to feel left out. It wasn't like she was allowed to know the truth. Besides, it wasn't like Erica would need to see proof from him and Isaac so…

"Okay yea, we can do that," Allison assured him. Maybe it had to do with the dating thing? If so, she could understand why Scott might want to give them space since the two of them were Isaac's friends first and Stiles was maybe getting involved with Erica.

The group of them walked into school, Stiles patting both his brothers on the back. They'd get through this, they only had a few hours of waiting before they found out one way or the other.

*Second Period Biology*

Scott turned and looked at his brother, "You really, really think it's okay that we're telling Erica? I mean, like outright… Can't we like… give her some hints and stuff?"

"That wouldn't really be fair, I mean, we give her hints that we might be able to cure her Epilepsy and then just walk away? Of course she's going to come back with questions… No, best to just lay it all out there and let her decide. I mean, wouldn't you be pissed if someone gave you hints on how to get rid of your asthma but was all secretive about it?"

"Okay, yea, probably. And I'd think it was totally shady, like probably something risky and I'd end up saying no thanks. I just… what if she takes it the wrong way?"

Stiles smiled at his brother, "Ran took it okay, and that was after she thought Isaac was going to hurt her. If we show Erica and tell her about it upfront, she'll be even more likely to accept it."

"Yea, that's a good point. Ran had every reason to just avoid Isaac after the incident but she came to the house and asked questions. She didn't even have any context as to what was happening, just that he was definitely not Human. But I mean, Erica isn't Ran…"

"But even better, Erica has known Isaac longer so she has even more reason to listen and judge based on information and not just freak out."

Scott just looked at Stiles, "Length of friendship doesn't mean blind acceptance…"

"I know! I'm just saying, Erica and Isaac are good friends so the odds are better that she'll listen. If Ran listened and only kinda knew Isaac, why wouldn't Erica give him the benefit of the doubt?"

"Scott, Stiles, I haven't seen you write anything down on those worksheets. Are you using your class time appropriately?" Mr. Hill asked.

"Of course," Stiles said, smiling. Then he picked up his pencil and looked at the packet, one final whisper to Scott. "Isaac has class with her now, so he's probably telling her about having a talk at lunch. If that doesn't go well, we'll put off the talk. But I think she'll be fine."

Scott nodded before turning his attention to the packet as well. It wouldn't be very productive for him to worry about it so he might as well just wait to hear the outcome.

*Second Period World History*

Erica was reading through their history book, pencil tapping her paper as she looked for the answers to the chapter questions. Suddenly a folded piece of paper dropped into her book, startling her slightly. Isaac was passing notes? Carefully she unfolded it, making sure Mr. Westover was still focused on grading stuff.

_Hey, Stiles and I need to talk to you about something, can we eat lunch outside? I promise it's not a bad conversation, just something we can't talk about where other people might hear._

She frowned, this was new… What could Isaac possible need secrecy for? They had talked about some heavy topics before but that was when they were visiting each other at home, never at school. Plus he said it wasn't a 'bad' meeting… but that only confused her more honestly. She scribbled a note back.

_Boyd is invited right?_

_Yea, of course, although it's you specifically we need to talk to, it doesn't have to be a secret from Boyd_

Well now didn't clear anything up, something that they didn't need Boyd's input on? But at least he could be there, that meant it had nothing to do with him, like Stiles having some issue with Boyd. And was Scott not going to be there? He had only mentioned himself and Stiles… Scott was never not included…. What was going on here? She gave Isaac a thumbs up, to let him know that she'd meet with them, and then passed the note to Boyd so he'd know what was going on. Just a few moments later, the note was back on her desk.

_So, no idea what this is about?_

_No… not a clue… but he said it wasn't going to be a bad meeting… I guess we'll just have to wait and see._

Erica sighed as she passed the note back. Boyd gave her a shrug, agreeing that they'd just have to wait. But at least that meant he was on board, he didn't seem to have any reservations about this meeting so she'd also have faith in Isaac's promise of a good meeting. But lunch was still a class and a half away and now she was going to be totally distracted. Great. What if Stiles had changed his mind?! God, why hadn't she thought about that before? That would be the only reason that Scott wouldn't be around because it would be awkward… Technically Boyd wouldn't need to be there for that conversation but they probably knew that Boyd would ask questions and it was just easier for him to be there… Her shoulders slumped forward and she dropped her hands into her lap… why would he change his mind?

Beside her, Isaac let out a pained whimper, reaching over to grab her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"I just… why did Stiles change his mind?" she mumbled, clearing her throat to hide the waver in her voice.

"What? No, this isn't about that, Stiles is still super excited for the date. Remember, I said this wasn't a bad meeting?"

Erica gave a half-hearted shrug, "You could have just been saying that so it wouldn't hurt as much…"

"No," Isaac said with a shake of his head. "This is about… I… It's about something for you, and Stiles is just there to help explain since I'm bad at explanations. Just, please, it isn't bad, just… a surprising and very secret topic. If I started to explain it, it would just make you ask more questions and I'm bad at this…"

"You promise it doesn't have to do with Stiles?" Erica whispered, biting her lip.

"Promise, I didn't mean to upset you by being vague… Like I said, I'm bad at this."

Erica took a deep, calming breath and nodded her head, as long as he promised then she could get through the next class alright.

*Lunch*

The group met up at the entrance to the cafeteria before Scott took Allison's hand and led her into the cafeteria but away from Jackson's usual table. Stiles sucked in a breath and looked at his brother, nodding, they could do this.

"So… I mean, Isaac told me that this meeting is about me? Why exactly are we having a conversation about me?" Erica asked in a quiet voice, worry getting the better of her.

"It's just about um... a possible… solution to um… your problem. It's just… supposed to be a secret so we can't talk about it where anyone else can hear. We actually got permission to tell you about it and well… there is no reason that Boyd can't know the truth as well since we'd all be in the situation together," Stiles told them as he led them to the farthest table.

Erica looked at Boyd, curious now- how could they possibly have some way to help her that the doctors hadn't already discussed. "This isn't… you aren't going to like… steal pills are you? Because obviously you can't just buy them from a pharmacy since you don't have a prescription…"

"No, no, nothing like that, we promise. This is something that would…" Stiles paused, looking at Isaac. "It would be a permanent solution. It's also something that the doctors can't know about."

"Stiles… are you talking about giving me a brain implant? Either my Epilepsy goes into a kind of remission, or I get surgery and my parents aren't fond of surgery. Neither am I honestly… it's… a scary idea. I know I complain all the time about it but… I dunno, that seems like a big deal," Erica mumbled.

Isaac sat her down on the bench, "What if I told you it didn't require surgery and it didn't require you to take any pills?"

Stiles nodded enthusiastically, "Yea, one time treatment and you'd just be… better. Can we at least tell you? You have to at least hear us out, okay?"

"Stiles, I didn't think you were the type to play mean games," Boyd commented, narrowing his eyes. This was obviously a fake offer and he couldn't believe Isaac was letting him do this. One time treatment and her Epilepsy would be cured? If that was a real thing, more people would have heard about it.

"No, no it isn't!" Stiles cried out before looking around and making sure he didn't pull attention to their table. He stepped in closer, dropping down beside Erica, looking into her eyes. "You believe me right? That I only want to help? We just recently found out about this… solution. It already worked for Scott."

"Scott doesn't have Epilepsy," Erica said slowly, even more confused now than ever. Some treatment that would cure his asthma and her Epilepsy?

"Well no, he doesn't, but this… solution, it cured his asthma. And it will cure your Epilepsy! I just… it's…"

"It's dangerous, isn't it, whatever your mystery solution is?" Boyd finally asked.

Isaac shook his head, "No! Well, under some circumstances it could be but Laura, she won't let anything happen to Erica, just like with Scott."

"Just tell me, what can this Laura person do that no other doctor has been able to offer me?" Erica asked, looking between the two brothers.

"Wait, before you just dismiss our answer, we have proof!" Stiles told them. "But it is an absolute secret. Even if you decide that you don't want to try this, you can't say anything, to anyone, okay? You have to promise before we tell you."

Boyd was starting to doubt this more and more but Erica hadn't made any move to leave; she was desperate for an answer, of course she was going to at least listen to their offer… so he might as well wait to hear what they had to say too. "We won't say anything, now spill."

With no gentle way of putting it, Stiles just went for a simple statement. "Laura, she can, um, well… turn you into a Werewolf," Stiles blurted out, biting his lip as he waited for the denial.

Erica blinked a few times, then looked between them, "And where is this proof? You said you had proof, and it better be good proof because no one is just going to believe a statement like that… Hell, I don't think anyone else would even wait for proof before walking away."

"I… wait, that's it? I mean, yea we totally have proof, Isaac is one, Scott too, but… no laughing?" Stiles asked. She had a point, most people would have heard the word Werewolf and just walked away. Isaac had done exactly that.

She crossed her arms, "If you are seriously coming to me, telling me that you have some miracle cure and that you have proof of your claims, I'm willing to listen, despite this whole thing sounding absurd. I know Isaac would never play a cruel joke on me like this and I'm also hoping I'm not wrong about you either."

"No, I would never! This is totally legit, Isaac can show you."

With one final look to make sure they were alone, Isaac positioned himself so no one looking outside might spot his shift. Then he relaxed his hold over the Wolf and shifted. He felt his fangs grow and his brow shift and surely his eyes were glowing.

Neither of his friends said anything, they just stared, and after a moment, Isaac shifted back, not wanting to press his luck on anyone seeing. But the silence was getting to him- he had shifted right? Stiles would have said something if he hadn't done it right.

A full minute went by before Stiles finally broke the silence, "Alright, I'm going to need one of you to say something…" Isaac had shifted, there was no imagining that.

"Yes."

"I- yes?"

"I'll do it, whatever I need to do to become a… a Werewolf."

"Wait, Erica, don't you have any questions," Boyd asked. This… this all seemed too good to be true. There was no way this was possible… but Isaac's face. Surely there was a lot to becoming a Werewolf that they just didn't know about yet.

"If it means I'm better… Obviously Isaac is still Isaac- wait, how long have you been…?"

"Um, week and a half I think… close to two. I didn't understand what was going on right away and then I couldn't tell anyone, like Laura said it wasn't safe to tell people… which is why neither of you can say anything."

"But why are you telling us now then?"

Stiles chimed in, "Because we got permission. I um, I found out that it cured Scott's asthma and I asked if maybe… it would cure you too. She said yea and that she'd-"

"That wolf outside my window! Was that her?" Erica asked, eyes widening as she started to piece things together. She also realized that Isaac had gotten 'sick' the night of the party and that night had been a full moon…

"What? Wolf… when?" Stiles asked, confused.

"All black, huge?" Isaac asked at the same time.

"Yea, totally friendly, just appeared in my backyard."

Isaac nodded, "Yea, that was her, most likely. She wanted… needed to understand your situation. It's not like we can go around and just… fix everyone since, well, there are rules and stuff. But Stiles asked and she said she'd at least look into it so that had to be her checking on you. I guess she was satisfied that you could survive and-"

"Whoa, wait, survive?" Boyd asked, alarmed.

"Um, yea… some people die from the Bite, their body just rejects it. But Laura wouldn't take that chance, if she said it was okay to approach you about the offer, then it will be fine. She Bit Scott too, she knows what she's doing. And I mean, this isn't going to happen like right after school, she has to talk with your parents and she'll answer all of your questions, tell you how your life is going to change if you accept this."

"My life will be better!" Erica stated, fully on board. "Just tell me when she wants to meet my parents." If Isaac had been a Werewolf since the semester had started then surely her life wasn't going to change that much. He was still the same Isaac she'd gotten to know a few months back, he wasn't a monster at all. He was just… different now. And she'd be different too! "But Isaac, now that you have permission to tell us, you have to explain everything, from the beginning!"

"I… yea, okay. No problem… honestly I'm just glad you're both still willing to be my friend."

"Actions speak louder than words Isaac, you've never once done a monstrous thing to make me question being your friend. Just because you might not be… Human now, doesn't change my mind."

Boyd nodded in agreement, "You've done nothing to make us scared of you." This was definitely a strange conversation to be having but when there was proof right in front of him, he wasn't going to waste time denying it. If this meant Erica had a chance to be cured, and she was willing to take it, he'd support her.

"Oh, wait, just one thing… um, as I'm sure you can tell something is up because of the fact Scott didn't join us, Allison can't know."

"Why not… didn't you say that is Scott one too?"

Stiles rubbed the back of his neck, "Yea he is and he does want to tell Allison but her parents… it's complicated. All part of the story but it's a long story and I just wanted to let you guys know, in case we don't get to finish it before the bell rings- Allison doesn't know yet."

"Well I guess that does make sense, Scott isn't the type to really keep secrets but at the same time, how do you tell a girl you just started dating that you aren't strictly Human?" Erica laughed.

"But um, we haven't even gone on our date and I told you…" Stiles mumbled, turning pink.

"I… um…" Erica stammered, blushing. "T-that's different, mine is because of my Epilepsy. Allison doesn't have any conditions that need curing I'm sure."

"Besides Stiles, you are still completely Human, I'm the one that is a Were," Isaac reminded him.

"I, well, the situation… close enough. But whatever, just start telling the story!"

Boyd and Isaac both sat down on the bench as well, all of them nibbling on their lunches as Isaac told his friends about what happened to him a few weeks ago.

-Inside-

"Hey, are you okay? You seem kinda… down," Scott asked, lightly bumping shoulders with Allison.

"I just… it's… it's a family thing, you probably don't want to hear it…"

Scott shrugged, "If it's something that you need to talk about, I can listen. I promise I won't judge your family because of any drama, I know drama happens."

Allison smiled at him, maybe it would be helpful to talk about it, he could probably offer some advice on how to sort through her feelings. "It's just that… Aunt Kate told me the other day that my parents are hiding something from me… She says that it's a family secret, so it isn't something like Dad cheated on Mom, nothing like that, because she knows about it too. And that she learned it when she was really young! I think she's surprised that I haven't learned about it yet. And at first, I was shocked but now I'm feeling kinda bitter about it… Don't my parents trust me?"

"I um… I don't think it has to do with trust. Well, it might but there are plenty of secrets that don't have to do with trust. It might just be… overwhelming. Like, some people tell their kids they are adopted at a very young age and explain it to them gently and they just always know they were adopted. Other parents wait and then they don't want to overwhelm their kid with the news so they have to find the right time to tell them. That has nothing to do with trust, just emotional readiness."

"Yea, that's a good point. I mean, surely they know I can keep a secret, so it can't be that they don't trust me with it. It's not like I'd blab to everyone, especially if it's an important secret. But what secret could they possibly have that they'd keep from me my whole life? Aunt Kate said she'd going to tell me the truth but… she's waiting to tell me."

Scott felt a chill go down his spine, Kate was going to tell her? That meant that she'd teach her the bad things about Werewolves and not the good things… Mr. and Mrs. Argent were only waiting because they didn't want Allison to feel obligated to become a Hunter, but Kate would probably make it seem like her only choice. How could he stop that from happening without breaking his promise to her parents? He couldn't tell her the truth, not here, not like this. "Maybe… I think maybe you should just ask your parents. Tell them that Aunt Kate talked with you about it and that you want to get their side of the story. I mean, I know she's your Aunt but even you admitted that it's been forever since she's seen you, I think your parents will know better if something is right for you or not."

"I like that idea! I can't believe I didn't think of that… I was just so focused on the fact that they were keeping something from me, like I was a kid or something. And that Aunt Kate said she'd tell me. I love Aunt Kate but I get the feeling that this is the kind of thing I should do _with_ my parents, not behind their backs. I just hope they don't get mad at me…"

"Naw, it's not like you begged your aunt to tell you, she's the one that is doing something she shouldn't. And maybe she is just trying to help, and if that's the case, they have no reason to get mad," Scott offered. He didn't want her to wait too long to ask her parents, so maybe if he fudged the truth a bit… Of course they'd get mad at Kate for this, but Allison didn't need to know that. "At least if you bring it up to your parents, they can fully explain their choice to keep it from you for so long and not just based off of how your aunt feels about it. And if you don't think their reason is good enough, you could probably persuade them to tell you, since your aunt is planning on telling you anyways. It's… kinda a threat but I mean… that's only if you don't like their reason. If you respect their choice you can always tell your aunt you want to wait."

You're the best!" Allison exclaimed, kissing him. Apparently she had made the right choice in talking to him about what was going on. And he wasn't totally bashing her aunt like she was afraid he would. Obviously their first meeting had gone a little sour last night, and Scott had every reason to not like her, but he was approaching this with a level head. If he could, then so could she! "I'll do that right after school. That means I'll be missing practice…"

"That's totally okay I mean, it's awesome knowing you're in the stands supporting me but I'm sure it's boring for you. I'd be happy as long as you came to the games. Besides, family is way more important that watching a bunch of boys run around and get all sweaty for a few hours."

Allison laughed, "I wouldn't miss the games for the world. Thanks for listening, and for the advice. Jackson is totally wrong about you and your brothers."

"What does Jackson say about us? I mean, I know he doesn't like us, he tells us that to our face. I'm just curious about what he says to his friends."

"Nothing nice but it isn't worth repeating because it's just him being an asshole. Don't even worry about what Jackson thinks," she assured him. "As your girlfriend, isn't my opinion the most important?" she kidded, teasing smile on her face.

"Of course, the most important," Scott repeated back in a pseudo-zombie tone. Both of them laughed and continued to talk about Jackson and the other guys as they ate.

*Argent House*

As the loud Camaro pulled up, Victoria smiled to herself; Laura might enjoy subtlety in most areas of her life, but not with her cars. If she remembered correctly, back when she was a teenager, she drove a very obnoxiously loud truck around town. Probably had something to do with the fact that she had to keep so much of herself hidden and she had a hard time reining in the rowdiness. Laura was actually earlier than she'd thought, lunch at school wasn't supposed to be over for awhile yet.

"Hey," Laura called out, finding the front door unlocked.

"Down here in my office," Victoria called out. "Working on outfits ideas to send in. You're early."

"The conversation with Erica went well, surprisingly well. They are still talking with her about it, telling her more about how they found out about all of this, but she's completely on board. All we need now is a time to meet with her parents."

"She didn't have any questions?" Victoria asked, slightly surprised.

The Alpha shook her head, "No, that's how… desperate she is to get rid of this. She accepted Isaac's new Were status and said she was game. I'm sure once we have the meeting, there will be plenty of questions but today there was nothing but acceptance."

"And how do you think the parents will react?"

"That's harder to guess, I haven't met them and Isaac didn't have much of a clue either… But Erica didn't seem to feel daunted by the fact that her parents were going to be involved. There was no hitch in her mood to indicate that maybe her parents would react badly. Now of course, that doesn't mean that maybe they'll completely overreact and call us all crazy or if they are highly religious, demons… But that wasn't something Erica was concerned about, that at least means she believes they'll be open minded."

Victoria nodded, putting down the cloth she was holding, "That is a good sign, better than most. Even if she was overly excited about this proposal, if her parents were absolutely close-minded people, she would have expressed doubt. Maybe even asked if they could not involve her parents. I'm assuming that we're going to lead with the fact that our offer is a cure for Erica? It's always so much easier to lead with that, I hate when someone just… wants the Bite and the Alpha accepts. I mean, how do you start that conversation?"

"And that's why we don't just accept just anyone, they need a good reason to want the change. That doesn't mean of course that they need to be sick, someone in Isaac's… previous living situation, close to adulthood… I'd try and persuade you to ignore the parental consent rule. They'd need a loving environment to draw strength from as well as the physical strength to protect themselves. Although we would definitely have to watch out for any behavioral issues that such a power boost might create… Then if I were to see a homeless, struggling teen with no family, I couldn't possibly turn them away if they wanted it…. Anyways, I'm just droning on… Um yes, the easiest way to ensure that her parents are willing to hear us out is to mention that we're offering a cure."

"And if they say no, will you be able to turn Erica away, as well as explain to the boys that she'll have to wait?" Victoria asked, needing to verbally confirm Laura's resolve concerning the pact. It wouldn't be hard to imagine that she'd want to spoil her new Betas, assure them that she could fix their friend despite a refusal from Erica's parents.

"Of course, Erica will probably be devastated but there is always the option to come to us once she turns 18. And I've dealt with Stiles ever since he was a toddler, I'm immune to his persuasive ways."

"Good to know, I'm glad the initial reveal went well. Message me when you have an appointment with the parents."

"I will. And now, I'm off to talk to a contractor. I forgot how annoying it was to move…"

"Contractor?"

Laura smiled, her energy doubling, "I've decided to rebuild! I can't imagine living here in Beacon Hills and not be on our own land. It will be hard at the same time though, with all the memories. But we'll have time to adjust, we're talking months of rebuilding."

"I'm glad, your family home deserves to be rebuilt."

Laura nodded and then excused herself, needing to check in with Derek and Cora before her meeting.

Victoria locked the door behind the Were, lost in thought. She was thinking of what Laura had said, about who'd she offer the Bite too sans illness; Laura had a good heart. Victoria knew that she'd been through a lot and it was honestly surprising she wasn't more jaded, like Derek. But time and time again, Laura proved she was above simple assumptions- she hadn't stormed the house that night after the fire looking for Kate, and when Scott had been in danger, she hadn't acted impulsively, something even Victoria could admit to herself that she would have had a hard time dealing with. If anyone would have a hard time accepting a parental refusal, it would be Victoria. But it was her empathy that made her a good leader, someone that Chris could depend on to make the right call, even when tempers were flaring. She always found it hilarious that women were considered emotional and sensitive in the Human world, but in the Hunter world, compassion was necessary. Admittedly, a lot of it probably had to do with the intense training they received, the deep understanding of balance that needed to be maintained. When Victoria was first learning, she had a hard time reining in her emotions to the appropriate level; her mother was always chiding her for acting as impulsively as the collective of 'men'. Over and over she was told that women weren't ruled by their pride like the men tended to be and eventually it sank in. Victoria smiled to herself, now that she was older, she knew it wasn't as black and white as she'd been taught. Chris was fully capable of making the right decisions whenever she wasn't around, and that there were going to be times that Victoria was too heated to make the right call. If Allison ever decided to pursue this lifestyle, her and Chris would train her together, that way, she'd truly understand what it took to be a good Hunter. What really mattered was your empathy and your internal strength, not whether you were a boy or a girl. Just look at how Kate turned out… There was a shining example of how not everyone functioned in the manner they were 'supposed' to. Chris as well, he wasn't rash like Gerard; maybe… maybe that's why the older Hunter was always trying to micromanage Chris's job. He was disappointed that his son acted more like the leader (woman) than like the soldier (man). She'd have to bring that up with Chris later, see what his thoughts on it were.

*Fifth Period Biology*

Allison dropped down next to Boyd, already used to having him as a work partner; as she got out her things, she figured she might as well ask. "So, how did lunch go? I um, I know it was probably a private conversation but, did everything go okay?"

"It was… a surprising conversation, but a good kind of surprise," Boyd confessed, remembering that he couldn't tell her the truth.

"Did Stiles ask Erica out?" she smiled, hoping.

"Yea, actually, um, they have a date set for this Friday! Erica is totally ecstatic about it." That was a convenient excuse… and it was only a lie in the sense that Stiles asked her out on Saturday, not today but oh well, it was close enough.

"Oh boy! That's exciting news! I don't know either of them that well but I think they look cute together. That time we first time we ate together and he had his arm around her. It was nice to see him just be comfortable with her. I have a feeling this is all just the start of a wonderful semester."

"You know, I agree, it was nice to see her really relax around him- the few times she'd been around Stiles before, she'd just completely clammed up," he laughed. Knowing that Stiles was a big comic geek too had probably helped her relax; on top of that, now she knows for sure that he returns her feelings.

"Well now we just have to wait and hear how the date goes, although I'm sure Stiles can come up with something epic," Allison replied with a giggle. They talked for a few more minutes, taking guesses on what the two might end up doing. Both agreed that, regardless of what Stiles might pick, it would surely be a fun date. As the two of them started in on their science packets, Allison smiled to herself- is this what it was like to have real friends? Friends that actually liked to include you in things and not act superficial… Beacon Hills was starting to look more and more like the best place for her! First Lydia had swooped in and befriended her, then she got to know Scott and his brothers, then Boyd, Erica, and Ran as well. She found that she was genuinely interested in Stiles and Erica getting together, hoping that they were compatible, like her and Scott. It was a very nice feeling.

*Sixth Period English 2*

Erica was watching the clock tick down, school was almost over and then she could head home and talk to her parents. Her mind was still reeling over Isaac's story- Werewolves and Hunters… the supernatural? But she'd seen it, his shift, and knew it was real. And she had seen Scott's amazing performance last week at practice; while she had never gone to practice last year, not knowing any of the brothers, she had nothing to base his improvement off of but there was just no way a Human could do that. Isaac was the only one that had kept up with him and now she knew it was because they were both Werewolves now. She thought more about the large wolf that had come to visit her as well, how they'd- she'd, been so gentle. It hadn't made sense that night, why a dog would bark outside her window for attention, it was so random. Wow, a Werewolf had visited her, fully shifted, that was crazy! If she went through with this, she'd be powerful, strong… normal. No, she'd be better than normal. Erica knew it wouldn't be easy, Isaac had warned her about the uncontrollable shifting and what the full moon meant but he also promised that Laura was a good Alpha and that she had a few weeks until the next full moon. She needed to do this, the sooner the better so she could learn how to control it. Already she was brainstorming different things she could try to use as her Anchor; she was getting this, her parents couldn't stop her.

-After School-

Victoria frowned when she heard the front door open, her daughter calling out, Allison normally stayed for practice, why was she home? Had her and Scott already got into a fight? "You're home early, everything okay?"

"Yea, well… kinda, um, I… is Dad home?"

"Not at the moment, he's meeting with a client, but he should be home soon, what's up?"

Allison fidgeted for a moment before deciding to just say what was on her mind. "I want to talk with you and Dad about something… it's been on my mind for a few days and Scott said that I should probably just bring it out in the open."

"Okay, of course we can talk, are you sure everything is okay?" Victoria asked, reaching out to rub Allison's hair.

"I hope so, I just have some questions about stuff and I'm confused…

"Alright, well go ahead and get started on your homework and when your dad gets home we can meet in the family room, sound good?"

"Yea, alright." Allison gave her mom a small smile and then went upstairs to her room. It wasn't until she passed Aunt Kate's room that she realized she had no idea if her Aunt was even here. "Hey Mom um… Aunt Kate… she's not going to be home for awhile, right?"

"No, I don't think so, she had to go all the way to San Jose to meet with a new client. She said she wouldn't be home until dinner. Did you want her to be here?"

"No, no, I think it should just be us."

Victoria nodded and went back into her office, frowning. Had Kate done something to make Allison feel uncomfortable? That woman definitely had a knack for creating trouble wherever she went but Allison usually loved seeing her aunt. She pulled out her phone and messaged her husband.

_Hey, Allison wants to have some sort of family discussion, come home asap, she wants to do it while Kate is out of the house_

_Alright, I just finished up, shouldn't be too long. Any idea on what she wants to talk about?_

_No clue although it must be something pretty private if she doesn't want Kate to be a part of the discussion. We'll find out._

Victoria sighed, hoping that Allison wasn't having some sort of crisis. She hadn't seemed horribly upset, her attitude hadn't gone through any severe changes either so it couldn't be drugs… Surely she wasn't pregnant, Allison was smarter than that, and besides, she'd definitely be more on edge if she was unexpectedly pregnant. Was she being bullied? Did Lydia get into some sort of trouble and Allison was concerned for her? Was Kate directly involved or did she just not feel comfortable speaking in front of her…? There were too many options and Victoria wouldn't accomplish anything by trying to guess. Her only option was to wait and steel her nerves for whatever news may be coming.

Later, when Chris came home, he called out to Allison to let her know he was here. Finally. Allison had been pacing in her room, trying to come up with a good argument, a good opening line. How could she bring this up to her parents without seeming like a spoiled kid… she didn't want to be whiny, or bossy- it wasn't like she could demand that her parents tell her the truth. It was starting to stress her out, just a bit, since she had no idea how her parents would react to her questions. What if they got mad, or upset, what if they just refused to talk about it? And how would Allison feel if they fully admitted that they felt like she wasn't mature enough to know the truth? But, Dad was home now and it was now or never. So she gathered her nerves and made her way down into the living room. She sat down on the smaller couch, facing her parents.

"So I was talking with Aunt Kate the other day and um, a certain topic came up… At first I was kinda upset about it but after talking with Scott today I realized that I should probably talk to you about it instead of just making assumptions."

Chris immediately understood what this was about. "How much did she tell you?" he asked, hoping that she hadn't been told any lies yet. Kate would surely damage Allison's kind nature if she was in charge of telling her about the supernatural.

"So you guys do have a secret? Something that has to do with why we've moved around a lot and with the weapons and odd hours?"

"Yes, we do," Victoria answered, waiting to figure out how their daughter would react.

"Can… can I ask why you haven't told me yet? Aunt Kate said that she knew all about it since she was a kid and she said you were babying me… that you didn't trust me…"

"It has nothing to do with trust," Victoria assured her, somehow managing to keep her voice calm. Not only had Kate crossed the line by telling Allison anything about their secret life, she was trying to turn her against them.

Allison frowned, looking between both of her parents, "Then why not? I'm almost 17… I can handle the truth, I promise."

"Allison, it… it isn't like that," Chris sighed. "Your mother and I, we made this decision back when you were first born. Did… did Kate tell you what it is we do?"

"No, she promised that she was going to but that I needed to wait because apparently it's really unbelievable and she wanted to have proof ready. She just told me that it had to do with the weapons and stuff..."

Chris nodded, alright, they could work with this. His sister might have blindsided them with this but obviously Allison was capable of coming to her own decisions instead of letting herself be manipulated. "Well I'm going to start by saying… and I don't want you to get upset, but… You can't trust everything your aunt says. She's my sister and I love her but that doesn't excuse the fact that she does her part of the job very differently from your mother and me. I do not trust her to teach you the correct methods, at all. We've even stated many times that we do not want her telling you anything about it."

"You didn't want her telling me because… you don't trust her?" Allison asked, confused.

"Sweetie, there are many different ways to do our… job. Just like there are very aggressive cops and very laidback cops, there are corrupt cops and even naïve cops, there is the same in our line of work. Your father and I do our best to uphold our rules where your aunt… she… she is very prejudiced. If she were in charge of teaching you, she would teach you horrible methods, she would lie…" Victoria paused, unsure of how to continue.

Allison chewed on her lip, it didn't seem right, talking about Aunt Kate like this… but her mom wouldn't lie to her either and even Dad agreed. That was his own sister and if he felt that way about her… "So if you aren't babying me, and it has nothing to do with trust… then why haven't you told me yet?"

"Because… Well, our lifestyle is very demanding and very dangerous. Most of us prefer to teach our children from a young age in order to keep them safe, or in some cases, to become hardcore soldiers. Your father and I were both trained from a young age and we personally understand the strain it puts on you. We didn't want that for you. We were planning on telling you of course, but we were waiting until you finished high school."

"But then I'd totally be behind on my training! Whatever… the training might be…"

Chris chuckled, "This isn't a competition Allison, everyone learns at their own pace. Besides, you're a natural with a bow, not many people take to the bow like you did. Most of us use guns because they are easier to learn. Besides, we wanted you to have the freedom of choice- if we had started training you as a child, you would have felt compelled to follow in our footsteps… it wouldn't have been an option to turn away from the life. Being a teenager is hard enough without our job weighing on your shoulders, you deserve to have your childhood. Most of the men I work with, they joined later in life, either recruited into our cause, or because they encountered something on their own and sought us out to learn more. There is nothing wrong with not having the training as a toddler. Besides, teenagers are supposed to get into trouble, rebel, find love, experience heartbreak, you have fluctuating hormones that make your life difficult as well, the huge amount of schoolwork on top of all that. You don't need our secret on top of all that."

"Besides, our lifestyle is hard, there are things children just can't understand until they are older, things that we can't teach you about until you're ready. We have to make extremely hard decisions, decisions that teenagers and children should never have to make. Honestly it will be much easier to teach you now that we can tell you everything as we go along instead of saying 'we'll explain that when you're older'- you are older. Of course… that's if you want to know. Considering that you know of the secret, if you wish to start learning, I'd be happy to teach you."

Did she want to know… just based off of the wording her parents used, this lifestyle seemed dangerous. Once Allison knew the truth, there was no turning back, at least right now she could deny the truth, push this conversation to the back of her mind and forget about the fact her parents have some secret job. But if they were involved in something dangerous, shouldn't Allison know about it? If she at least accepted the training and knew what dangers were out there, she could protect herself. Maybe… maybe she'd accept the training but not be active, was that a possibility? Before she could ask though, all of them were startled by the front door opening.

"Hey, guy flaked out on me so I'm back early and… oh, are we having a meeting?" Kate asked, finding them all in the living room. The tv wasn't on and everyone had a very serious look on their faces.

"Kate, what possessed you to tell our daughter about our secret when you had express instructions not to?" Victoria asked, taking the aggressor role so Chris wouldn't have to against his sister.

"Aww, you told them? I thought that was going to be between us," Kate accused in a hurt tone, frowning at her niece.

Allison fidgeted, feeling awful all of a sudden, "I don't… keep secrets from my parents…"

"Yea, even though they kept secrets from you?" Kate scoffed before turning to her brother, hurt look completely vanishing from her face. "You are babying her Chris, putting her in danger! She deserves to know the truth- she has a legacy to uphold after all! Maybe she can make up for your disappointment."

"Just because I didn't respond to Dad's teachings the way he wanted doesn't mean I don't uphold the code! And I don't want you poisoning Allison with your prejudiced ways! If you can't respect our methods then you can leave."

Allison stared at her aunt, amazed… had she been manipulated? Surely the hurt look on her face had been genuine but now it was gone and all she could see was anger.

"You're a pathetic excuse for a Hunter and I will not let Allison get killed because you go too easy on those monsters! And what do you think Dad is going to do when I tell him you're allowing Allison to date a mongrel?"

Before anyone else could say anything, Kate spun on her heel and left.

"Hunter… monsters?" Allison asked. "What did she mean about Scott? Why doesn't she like him?"

Chris cursed under his breath and pulled out his phone, "Your aunt is about to do something really stupid… a full explanation might have to wait Alli." He went out to the garage, phone held up to his ear.

Allison watched him go, turning to her mom, "What's going on?"

"Very condensed version: there are Humans in this world and there are other supernatural creatures. There are families out there that are in charge of keeping the balance between the species, we're called Hunters. When necessary we take out problem creatures because they prey on those weaker than them. But not all of them are monsters like your Aunt believes, there are good creatures out there. We've got to go, you're about to get a crash course if you want it."

"Scott is one of them… he's not a Human?" Allison asked. "But he isn't a monster right?!"

"No, he isn't. He's a Werewolf technically, recently Bitten. But he's a good boy and he has a good Alpha. We knew what he was and felt that it was okay for you to be dating him. We asked that he kept his supernatural nature a secret from you, so you wouldn't be overwhelmed. I have no doubt that Kate would have turned you against him and manipulated you into hurting him."

Allison covered her mouth, not wanting to believe Aunt Kate would do that but the Aunt Kate she just saw…. She had tried to turn her against her parents! Looking back now, Allison could see that Scott had the right idea, parents kept secrets all the time because sometimes it just wasn't the child's business. Allison had no right to demand answers from her parents and had no reason to distrust them just because her aunt said so. Would she have really corrupted her… turned her against Scott and any of the others out there. Scott had been nothing but sweet to her and her parents approved of him, Werewolf or not… Maybe it hurt a little bit, knowing that he had to keep a secret from her but honestly, she understood. If he even knew about her family's history and chose to associate with her, that spoke of his trustful nature. Any other person that didn't trust her parents to be kind to him would have hurt her a long time ago, or at least avoided her. She made up her mind. "I want to learn more, I'm coming with you!"

Victoria nodded and ushered her daughter into the garage, just as Chris was hanging up.

"I called Laura and the Sheriff, I have no idea what Kate has planned but his sons are in danger just as much as the Hales. Laura said she'd meet us at the house since that is the most likely place Kate will go. We've got to hurry…" He threw in one last bag into the back of the SUV. "Text Brandon and have him gather everyone, cruise the town, we need to find her. And see if anyone knows where Oliver is, he's probably with her, or will be shortly."

Allison climbed into the backseat, hands clenched in her lap to stop them from shaking. This had not been how she thought her day would go, she hadn't even been sure that her parents would reveal the big secret. Hell, if Aunt Kate hadn't come home then would they have… no, her Mom had offered to begin training her if she wanted it. She had forced her parents hand by selfishly complaining to Aunt Kate. Her parents were just looking out for her and then her aunt had tried to take advantage. Allison vowed that she'd never let anyone manipulate her again, she was stronger than that!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the whole dichotomy of how the Hunters run their clans, with the men admittedly being impulsive, but the women expected to stay cool-headed while historically, woman are seen as 'emotional' just always... bothered me. Plus Kate and Victoria weren't shining examples of that (cough cough, really, you voted to kill a teenager Victoria!). So I kinda ad-libbed some details about why the women were the leaders. To clarify if anyone is having troubles following my wording, here's the background I've made up in my head: Hunters realized that it was virtually impossible to wipe out all the Weres and there were many incidents of Weres and other creatures that managed to hide under the radar for years because they simply didn't act like monsters. They realized that all out war was a drain on their resources and sought to come up with a different way of handling it. Only the women were unaffected because they didn't grow up with the issue of "man's pride" and eventually they realized that the women were more capable of deciding who should live and who needed to be killed. Girls were then trained to hone their emotional capacity in-sync with understanding battle tactics. This way the men could focus on becoming killing machines and not have to worry about niceties and the battle training the girls received helped them remain stoic and not become Were sympathizers but allowed them to retain their 'womanly' compassion at the same time.


	21. Banding Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets together to discuss Kate and Allison learns more about what it means to be a Were

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been forever, I was just really, really stuck on this story and need to take a break. Then some IRL stuff came up that's been keeping me really busy so I haven't had any time to update ANY of my fics....sigh.  
> BUT, my friend and I came up with a new video, one that is a lot closer to this story. I kinda rushed the other vid, so I didn't look very hard for some good moments. But she offered to edit a new one for me and since I know now where I want this story to go, I took her up on her offer and re-vamped the whole thing!! There's a lot more Brotherly moments for sure!!! Hope you enjoy it!!! I'm putting the video in the first chapter, so that way ppl that just recently find this story can watch it as well to get a feel for the story and not come across it way late in Ch 21 hahaha.

John hung up and shoved his phone into his pocket before grabbing his jacket and rushing out of his office. That hadn't been a phone call he'd been expecting at all; Chris hadn't really had time to explain everything either, since he needed to alert his team. John swore as he rushed past the front desk, if Kate did _anything_ to his boys, it'd be the last decision she'd ever make. "Tara, got a family emergency, call me on the radio if you need me." Once he was in the cruiser, he had to decide if he should call Melissa or not… She couldn't just rush out of work like he could, her supervisors would have questions. He decided to wait, call her after he had the boys with him, safe. At least that way she wouldn't have to worry as much. She'd be full of questions but at least she'd know the boys were safe. The tires squealed as he tore out of the department's parking lot. It didn't take him long at all to get to the school, haphazardly parking and running to the field.

"Sheriff, everything okay?" Coach Finstock asked, hoping he wasn't here to arrest any of the players.

"I need to take my boys out of practice, family emergency."

"Oh, sure, no problem." Coach turned back to the field, whistle at his lips but already the three Stilinski boys were running towards the locker room. How had they known?

John bounced from foot to foot, impatiently waiting for the boys to reappear; it only took moments though, none of them even bothering to change, just grabbing their bags. All three of them rushed over to him and John knew they were full of questions and he held up a hand to stop the barrage before it even began. "Mom is fine, I promise. This has something to do with Kate, we're meeting up with Laura and the others. Questions will have to wait until then, Chris said it was urgent so no time to talk," he told them, herding them towards the parking lot. All three of the boys relaxed, thankful that it wasn't their mom.

Stiles noticed the worried look though, and seeing his dad worried made him nervous. Clearly something was going on- Dad never would have pulled them out of practice unless it was a real emergency. And if Kate was involved, that meant the Hales were in danger. "Has anyone been hurt? Please don't tell me that she did something to Cora? Laura? Derek?" Stiles asked, pulling out the keys to the Jeep. If anything happened to one of them…

"No, I don't think so. Chris just said that they were having some sort of family meeting and then Kate came in and ruined it… He didn't mention anything about the Hales other than we're meeting up with them. I think he would have said something if one of them had been hurt. But, whatever went down at his house, he felt like he needed to call and warn me. He said that you boys could be in danger and it would be in everyone's interest to come get you-"

"Wait, we're in danger?" Scott asked, hand falling away from the Jeep's handle. Why in the world would they be in danger?

"That's what he said. We're supposed to all meet up at the Hale house, since that might be where Kate is headed-"

Isaac flinched, "Why are we going to where she'll be? Shouldn't we be avoiding her?!"

"Not if it's the best way to stop her," Stiles commented. So far no one had been hurt but, if Kate really did set that fire 6 years ago… "We can't let her get away with anything else. If she's planning on hurting us, or the Hales, we all need to be there together. We're a Pack."

John nodded, seconding Stiles's statement. He was new to all of this, and he hated putting his sons at risk, but he also knew that Laura was family too. She'd die for these boys and he'd do the same for her, so now wasn't the time to be separated; he couldn't justify protecting his boys while turning his back on the Hales. "I want you boys right behind me the whole time, okay? But if for any reason, this goes south, I want you boys to run, got it?"

The boys all nodded and climbed into the Jeep, falling in line behind their dad's cruiser; they all knew the truth though, that they wouldn't run, no matter what. They almost lost Laura once, they weren't going to let her face Kate alone this time around.

"What do you think is going on?" Isaac asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Nothing good, I know that much… Not if Mr. Argent had to call Dad," Stiles murmured. He was chewing on his lip, willing his mind to stay blank and not come up with horrible scenarios of what could be happening right now. As far as they knew, the Hales were okay but what if Chris had decided to call Dad first? What if he just wasn't aware that the Hales were in trouble? No… he'd probably called right after Kate left the house, there'd be no plausible way she could've gotten to Laura that fast. But then he recalled what their dad had said. "Mr. Argent said that we might be in danger… that would only happen if Kate knew about you two being Weres."

"But there's no way…" Isaac said; he knew Allison's parents wouldn't have revealed their secret.

"That has to be it… why else would Mr. Argent have said that we were in danger?" Stiles argued. This… this was bad. It was hard enough making sure his brothers didn't shift in class but now they'd have to watch their backs for Kate? How could this situation get any worse?

Scott whined loudly, startling both of his brothers, "What if she told Allison about me?"

Seriously, he was more worried about Allison freaking out than a known killer coming after them? Isaac hugged his brother, Scott probably just didn't really realize the danger they were in. It wasn't easy to come to terms with the fact that someone might want to kill them just because they were Weres now. "Relax, I'm sure her parents wouldn't let Kate just bad mouth you- that would basically mean they'd be okay with Allison having prejudices."

"Kate's going to try and convince her I'm a monster, I know she will!" He was starting to hyperventilate. Scott didn't want Allison to hate him! He knew his brothers were probably thinking that he was blowing this out of proportion but he couldn't help it. Scott believed in the Argents, believed in Laura, he knew they'd protect them from Kate. But who would protect Allison in this situation?

Isaac rubbed his back, "Do you really think that Allison will just blindly side with her aunt over her parents?"

"I… I don't know… it depends on how the family meeting went…" Scott took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "That's what we talked about at lunch, how Kate was planning on telling Allison about the 'family secret' but that she was waiting on something. Allison felt really uneasy about going behind her parents' backs about it but at the same time, felt like they were treating her like a child. So I suggested she just sit down with her mom and dad and talk to them about it. If Kate came in and broke up the meeting before Mr. and Mrs. Argent could explain their side of things… Allison might side with her aunt… Kate is apparently really good at manipulation…"

"Naw, I doubt it," Stiles stated. "Like, the fact that Allison felt bad about going behind her parents' backs in the first place means she has a very good relationship with them. Even if Kate did blurt out the fact about you being a Were, her parents would be quick to reassure her. At the very least, I'm sure Allison would at least be willing to think it over- she might need a few days to get over the initial 'freak out' period but, I'm sure the two of you will be fine."

"I hope so…"

Stiles reached back and squeezed Scott's knee in reassurance. "Allison has seen plenty of examples of how you're a standup guy, and her parents aren't going to let her go all 'Dark Side' like Kate. They'll make sure she understands that not everyone is a monster, that's kinda their thing."

"Yea, I'm sure too. They stated before that they don't like Kate's methods so it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't fight tooth and nail to protect her from her crazy aunt," Isaac said as they turned down the path that led to the Hale house.

But Scott realized that it didn't mean Allison would be okay with dating a Were. Maybe she wouldn't be scared of him, but that didn't mean she'd find him datable any longer. He tried to push those thoughts to the back of his mind though, he knew that he needed to be focused on the situation.

-Meanwhile-

Chris had his walkie talkie out, barking out orders to his men as he sped towards the reservation. Allison was looking out the window, fighting the urge to bite down on her nails… Everything was really weird right now, her mind was racing- Scott was a Werewolf? Her parents both came from families of Hunters, and they were responsible for taking out dangerous creatures… Seriously, like the Winchesters? Laughter bubbled up from her throat before she could stop it.

"What's wrong Honey?" Victoria asked quietly, not wanting to distract Chris. She could tell by giggle that her daughter wasn't thinking of something funny, it was a sign of nervousness. This really wasn't how she wanted to introduce Allison to the supernatural world, it was too sudden and harsh… Victoria cursed Kate again, for ruining this for Allison. She knew all too well that _how_ a person was introduced to their world affected their feelings about it. It wasn't like she and Chris had planned out a ceremony or anything but there was definitely a plan to gently break the news to her after she'd graduated. Instead, now she had to do damage control, try and smooth over Allison's insecurities about what was going on.

"Where do I even start? We aren't alone as a species… Werewolves exist for sure and who knows what else. Some of them are dangerous but not all of them- that's good to know at least. And my new boyfriend is one of them. You and Dad both knew what he was and kept it secret from me, Scott knows that you're Hunters and had to keep that a secret from me… But of course, that's not really something you just tell someone on a first date, I get that." Allison was just rambling at this point. "Honestly I feel like I'm in an episode of Supernatural right now and I'm just waiting for Sam and Dean to show up. Not to mention the whole… Aunt Kate lied to me part. Well, she didn't lie exactly but she tried to turn me against you guys because she thinks all non-Humans are bad? You said that she was prejudiced and I'm sure you meant in a 'species' way and not a 'skin color' way."

"It is a lot to take in, but we're here to help explain it to you, I promise. This isn't… this isn't at all how I wanted you to find out, I know you have all kinds of questions and you're only going to get more as the afternoon goes on. As for your aunt, yes, she dislikes anyone that is non-Human. I have no doubt that she would have found a way to show you only how dangerous Weres are without-"

"But Mom, I almost fell for it! I just wanted to have a close relationship with someone, like what Stiles, Scott, and Isaac have. Aunt Kate knew that and used it to her advantage… What if… what if I hadn't talked with you guys and just let Aunt Kate show me the 'truth,' wh-what if she made me hurt Scott? You said that she'd probably do that!"

Victoria smiled at her daughter, "I'm sorry if what I said scared you, that was more about me trying to explain your aunt's motives. We never would have let that happen. Alli, I know you think you're good at keeping secrets but, I'm sure we would have realized something was up if you suddenly didn't like Scott anymore. And, becoming aware of the supernatural, it changes you, there is no way you'd be able to keep it a secret for long. Besides, you know that Scott is a good person, you wouldn't have started dating him if you thought he had bad qualities."

"I… yea I know but… If Aunt Kate thinks they are all monsters, she would have found a way to convince me that Scott was a monster too. That maybe he was just pretending… How does this even work? How can I tell if someone is a good um… non-Human versus a bad one?"

"That's a complicated answer. Because someone that is bad will try to trick you, it can be hard to see the signs. Just like with Humans. Mostly it comes down to instincts and training. But for the most part, being a Were isn't very different from being a Human. They are stronger than us, they can heal very quickly, their senses are heightened, but if they have control, they aren't dangerous at all. They are affected by the full moon although not in the way you'd think, Laura can show you what their shift looks like. But they do have an inner… self, something that we don't have, a Wolf. And the Wolf is where they draw their new abilities from, it is also where more animalistic tendencies come from. That's why they need control, if they lose control and the Wolf side takes over, they could attack people. That's the only time they are monsters, is when they side with the Wolf and aren't afraid to use their strength to hunt down Humans," Victoria explained.

"And you aren't worried about Scott losing control and hurting me?" Allison asked, biting her lip. She really liked Scott and didn't want to be afraid of him. Her mom had said that they trusted Scott, so did that mean he had really good control? "How does… Were stuff work exactly, you mentioned something about being Bitten? I'm confused…"

"Weres have a practice, they find one specific thing that helps center them. That's called an Anchor, it's something that, no matter what, can help keep them calm and keep the Human side in control. Laura has assured me that both Scott and Isaac have a very good Anchor and she's been working with them, teaching them what it means to be a Were. As for the second question, both can happen. Laura and her siblings are all born, they've been a Were their whole life. Those kinds of Werewolves are a lot stronger and have more control. Scott and Isaac were Bitten, just recently and now have to adjust to being different than before. Are you okay with this? If dating a Were makes you uneasy, I'm sure we can find a way to tell him."

"No, I like Scott, a lot. And he hasn't done anything at all that's worried me. I just wasn't sure… Do I have to be careful, like if I say something, will it set off the um, Wolf or something? And the perfume thing- did that have something to do with him being a Were?"

"Well, anything that gets his heart rate up, it ties into the whole 'fight or flight' reaction and when a Were's adrenaline spikes, the Wolf 'wakes up' more than usual. But it can be anything, something that makes him mad, afraid, or even super excited. So that means when Scott is very worried about something, overly happy about something, things like that, he might shift a bit. So if you're with Scott and his eyes start to glow an amber color, remind him to focus on his Anchor. Same with fangs or claws, those are signs that the Wolf is pushing for control and he's close to a full Beta shift. So it isn't necessarily dangerous if anger isn't the trigger, but still, it's best to be careful."

"G-glowing eyes? Okay, I'll um, make sure to watch out for that…" Suddenly Allison thought back to last week, when they'd been discussing date number two. How Scott had gotten nervous all of a sudden and Isaac had leaned in really close. Then he spent the first half of class all hunched over with a hand over his face. His eyes must have started glowing! Was it because he had been really excited for their date? Allison smiled to herself, pretty sure that that had been the cause and not anger or fear. She was pulled from her memories as her mom answered the other half of her question.

"As for the perfume issue, I don't think it hurt him although Wolfsbane is very dangerous to Werewolves. The perfume your aunt gave you was very weak, it's only designed to trigger a shift so we can identify a Were very easily. If it were to be in a much more concentrated state, him inhaling would be dangerous yes, it could kill him. The same goes for any bullets or arrowheads that are coated in it- it prevents their healing and acts as a poison at the same time. It's one of their only weaknesses."

"So Scott wasn't actually hurt, he was just forced to shift and didn't want me to see it?"

"Right, your father saw the signs and took him into the garage so he could get control of himself."

Allison nodded, feeling a little bit better… She had felt awful even when she thought she'd triggered an asthma attack… technically, she did, a Were version of it. But as long as he hadn't been in danger because of her actions… Wolfsbane… apparently that part of the lore was true. Before she could ask any other questions though, they pulled up to a rundown house and her dad quickly jumped out of the SUV, scouting the area. It was starting to sink in, just how serious all of this was.

-Meanwhile-

Laura had the Camaro pulled over onto the shoulder, a good mile away from the turn to their old house. Chris had warned her not to approach, just in case Kate had set a trap. With all three of them in the car, they'd be an easy target, but Laura knew better than to approach on foot, they were more exposed that way…. So they were sitting, waiting, for an all clear from Chris or Victoria.

"So, she's finally showing her true colors huh? I bet she's not happy that her own brother is on our side…" Cora mumbled. She was sitting in the back, looking out the rear window, just to make sure no one was trying to sneak up on them.

"We've known about her true colors for a long time now," Derek spat out, nerves making him grumpy. Thankfully both of his sisters knew it wasn't aimed at them and they didn't take offense; they were quite used to it by now.

"I think what Cora meant is that now Chris has proof. Before it was just our word against hers and his hands were tied. He always believed us but that didn't mean he could do anything about it-"

"He doesn't have proof yet," Derek cut in. "She has to do something before he'll have enough proof. And that means someone is going to have to die…"

"No, no one else is going to die! We'll stop her before it comes to that! Stop talking like Chris is just using us for bait or something- he wants to help us!" Laura reminded him.

"I know… I just…. She ripped apart our family once and I don't want to lose anyone else because of her." Derek took a few deeps breaths, trying to keep himself calm. He was a ball of nervous energy right now, anger and fear fighting to be the dominate emotion. On top of that, he had a new, stronger Wolf inside him, chomping at the bit, howling to be released. How did Laura do it? How had she remained so calm all those years ago, when they had gone to Chris about the fire? How had she mastered the Alpha power so easily?

Laura reached over and ran her fingers through Derek's hair, trying to send him soothing thoughts, but the air in the car was just too full of tension. When her phone finally went off, all of them jumped. It was a text from Chris.

_All clear 962-3_

"Chris says it's clear for us to come in," Laura said, starting up the car.

Cora turned around in her seat, "And he sent the numbers?"

"Yea, he sent the right numbers."

Chris had told them that, since they were dealing with another Argent, all of his usual codes were useless- Kate knew them all. If, by any chance, Kate had managed to get the upper hand at the house, and stole Chris's phone, or even coerced him into sending a message… she'd realize if he tried to warn them of trouble via their usual coded methods. So instead, he'd asked Laura to give him a short series of numbers, and that if his message didn't include the numbers, they were to run. It was a smart back-up, because Laura knew that Chris never would have revealed the numbers to Kate, no matter what. Within minutes, they were pulling up to the house, an SUV, a cruiser, and Stiles's Jeep all parked already.

Laura and the others got out of the Camaro and all three of the boys rushed forward, feeling the need to reaffirm their Pack ties, to make sure that everyone was really okay. Everyone pressed in close to each other, no one really caring who it was they were hugging. Laura did reach out and run a hand through Stiles's hair since he was the only one that couldn't feel her presence in his head; she needed to make sure he knew that he was included. As they settled down a bit, Laura scented the air, just to make sure Kate wasn't hiding anywhere before turning to the Argents. It was then that she noticed a very tense Allison standing beside her mother. Apparently their plan to wait until graduation wasn't an option anymore… "What exactly are we dealing with? I figure the fact that Allison is here means things haven't gone so smoothly."

"That would be correct," Chris admitted with a heavy sigh. "So, my sister, in typical Kate fashion, decided that it was time for Allison to learn about our family secret. Of course, it was on Kate's terms and not ours… Thankfully, Allison decided to come to us, not feeling comfortable with the way Kate was behaving. In the middle of our conversation, Kate came home and found out. She was furious… spouting off some nonsense of how we have this legacy to uphold and that it was a disgrace that Allison is dating a Were. She stormed out of the house and I'm worried that she's going to cross the line… Again. I figured it was safer if we all just got together, let Kate know that it won't be so easy for her this time."

"Do you really think she'll come after us?" Laura asked. It wasn't surprising at all that Kate finally stepped on Chris and Victoria's toes concerning Allison, but would she really go so far as to hurt Scott and Isaac? It wasn't that hard to believe, considering her past but there also might be a chance she'd ignore the boys and only come after her, the Hale Alpha.

"Of course she will! She wants us gone!" Cora growled out. She knew exactly what her older sister meant by 'us', how she had hope that the boys would be safe. But Cora was bitter whereas Laura (by some miracle) wasn't completely jaded. "They may not be Hale by blood but they're Pack and she knows it. Plus she thinks it's a disgrace that Allison is dating Scott, she won't let that slide."

"What… What did Aunt Kate do?" Allison asked, looking at the Hales. She wasn't really sure if it was her place to ask but, she wanted to know… To hear them all talk about her with such… hatred… If Aunt Kate really was as prejudiced as her parents thought, surely there'd be proof.

Derek pointed to the burnt house, fangs growing as he snarled, "That's what she did. And she did it with our family trapped inside!" His eyes flashed red as he finally lost grip on his control and Laura quickly reached up, hand settling on the back of his neck in a familiar manner. The contact helped to rein Derek in, the new Alpha managing to stay in place and not go run off into the forest like before. But it took a moment longer before his anger was truly contained, and he only got control because of Laura's soothing voice in his head.

Allison flinched and cowered behind her mom, startled by the intense amount of anger, not to mention the fangs and the red eyes. But she did note that neither of her parents even flinched at his outburst, so they must know him well enough. They expected his anger but also trusted that he wasn't actually going to attack her. It soothed her frayed nerves to see her parents standing so calmly against such an angry man. Those red eyes… Then his statement actually sunk in and she turned to look at the ruined house, heart heavy. "H-how many died?" she asked in a whisper.

"Eight," Laura answered, voice just as quiet. "Kids and Humans along with Weres."

Allison turned, hiding her face in her mom's shoulder; that wasn't right, Aunt Kate wouldn't…. But she didn't know her Aunt that well, hadn't seen her in years. And her dad didn't even try to fight the accusations. If there was even the slightest possibility that Aunt Kate hadn't done this, her dad would have said something.

"That's why we didn't want her teaching you anything about this life, because she would have tried to teach you that this level of violence was okay," Victoria soothed. She felt awful that Allison had to hear all this, that there was nothing she could do to soften the blow… But she was a part of this now, it was only proper to show her the bad as well as the good.

"I'd never, _ever_ , think it was okay to lock people in a house and burn them," Allison stated, clenching her jaw and standing straighter. "No one deserves that." Already her heart was breaking for all the non-Humans out there that must be having a rough life… just because they were _more_ than others. She vowed that she'd protect anyone and everyone that she could from despicable people like her aunt.

Derek took a few deep breaths, collected himself, he hadn't meant to… He saw the way Allison flinched, he'd terrified her. But Kate just… even the thought of her made his skin crawl, made his head spin… He really didn't think he could face her after all these years, he'd feel just as powerless as before, he knew he would. This was all too much.

"I think it's time that Kate learns we aren't going to let her get away with this," Stiles called out, blood boiling at witnessing Derek's reaction. That was more than just anger, more than regular pain. Kate had hurt them all through the fire, but for Derek, it was more… "I know we may not be as strong as the Hale Pack was 6 years ago but, this time around, we know what to expect from her. I won't let her hurt my family!"

Chris fully agreed, "Last time, we weren't… prepared, at all. I honestly had no idea that she was planning anything so, awful, I won't let her try anything like that again. But if my men and I are going to help protect you, I'm going to need to know you're somewhere safe-"

"Oh no, you want us to be in a house? No way, I'm not going to be inside somewhere so your psycho sister can trap us! Not again! I won't put my life in the hands of Hunters," Cora cried out, taking a few steps backwards. She still remembered… the smoke in her lungs, how it burned, how hot the house was as the flames came up from the basement. She'd been 13 years old and absolutely terrified for her life. There was no way she'd ever put herself in that position again. Not voluntarily.

"Cora, it isn't-" Laura started to say.

"Laura, you can't make me, please! We're safer outside, if we're outside she can't sneak up on us… She can't possibly know all of our old hiding places! Derek, tell her it isn't safe!"

Chris spoke up, hoping to calm her down, "I'd have my men patrolling around the clock, keeping an eye out for Kate."

"And how do we know that they won't be on her side? You already have one mole!"

"Chris and I will take watch, as well as Brandon, he's absolutely loyal to us. With the three of us keeping watch, no one would dare try to put down a line of mountain ash," Victoria offered.

"Why don't we all set up base at our house then," John offered. Everyone saw the look of determination on his face. "Kate clearly has a past, has no problem committing arson, but I doubt even she isn't stupid enough to try and burn down the sheriff's house. We aren't situated in the woods, far away from neighbors, we're in the middle of the block. It will be safer there than just about anywhere else. Cora, I understand how… scary it has to be for you, to risk being inside again…" It wasn't hard to see that her and Derek were still living with a lot of PTSD, it didn't matter that the fire was 6 years ago. "But you can trust me, I'm a part of this Pack now and I won't let you kids fend for yourselves, period. I'll even take time off work, I've got plenty of vacation time, I'll settle in for a few patrol hours as well. You kids aren't alone anymore, and I'll be damned if anything else happens to you on my watch."

"Cora, I know- I _know_ how hard this is for you, I can feel it. But the Pack isn't just the three of us anymore, we can't just hole up in the woods like we used to. I have to watch out for the boys too- you said it yourself, that they are in just as much danger as the rest of us. What kind of Alpha would I be if I left them alone right now?" Laura asked. "I swear I'm not going to lose anyone else because of Kate."

The youngest Hale hugged her sister, willing herself to calm down. Staying at the Stilinski house might not be so bad. She'd been there before, it was familiar at least. And she knew that Laura was right, that the boys… She looked at them over Laura's shoulder and she could see how terrified they all were. This was new to them, they'd never experienced a life-or-death situation with a Hunter before. Had never been hunted like a wild animal… "You're right, we need to be together, we're all Pack now. And I do trust Chris and Victoria… if they can promise that they'll keep watch…"

"Thank you," Laura whispered. She hugged her sister tighter, sending her strength. She'd get through this, all of them would get through this.

Just then, Chris's walkie-talkie squawked and he excused himself to talk to his men, Laura heading over as well. Cora grabbed onto Derek to stop him from interfering, Laura would tell them all the important stuff anyways, Chris didn't need him there yelling and growling. The boys walked back over to their dad, the reality of everything sinking in now that everyone was here.

"Hey… um, Scott…?" Allison called out. She felt awkward, just standing there alone, both of her parents talking with Laura and the other men… Might as well talk with Scott, no time like the present…

"Yea?" He walked over to her, hands nervously looking for pockets in his uniform.

"I, um… I'm sorry that you were put in the middle of all this… I know that you had to keep all of this a secret from me, and today at lunch was probably really weird for you."

"It was a bit yea," he admitted. "But mostly because I knew from Laura how dangerous Kate could be, so hearing that she was planning on telling you about all this… it was scary. Not that, um, I didn't think that you'd turn out like her but…"

"No, I get it, if I only talked with Aunt Kate first and she told me about how Weres are all monsters, it would probably create some problems in our relationship…" Allison mumbled.

"So… me being a Were isn't a problem for our relationship?" Scott asked, hopeful look on his face.

Allison smiled, looking down at her hands, "Well, I mean, I don't know a lot about this, Mom kinda gave me a crash course on the way here but… I mean, you haven't done anything that's worried me. Mom said that she trusts Laura when she said that you had a good um, Anchor."

"Yea, Stiles is my Anchor, like, thinking about him just… keeps me Human. It doesn't work as well when I'm excited about something, but I also don't feel the need to hurt anyone when I'm excited. I'd uh, tell you more but… I don't really know much either. I've only been a Were since Wednesday night."

"Well I only found out about it an hour ago, you probably seem like an expert compared to me," she laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Scott laughed too, "If I'm an expert then I don't even have a word for what Laura would be. Heck, even Isaac knows a little more than me, he's had a few more lessons on all this."

"Well, we can learn together then." An awkward silence came between then and Allison looked around nervously, hoping to find something to say. But then the other dark-haired girl caught her eye. "That girl over there… she's, she's the one that came up to you at the bowling alley wasn't she?"

"Huh? Oh, yea, that's Cora. She um, was keeping an eye on me, was there to make sure I didn't wolf out or anything. Jackson was starting to get a little… rude, so she ran over and interrupted before things got bad."

"I'm glad you have Packmates that watch over you, it must be kinda scary, being a Were. Mom was telling me that sometimes you can just lose control and that the Wolf wants to take over… is it scary?"

"Um, I haven't really experienced any real anger yet. I mean, I got pretty mad at Jackson but Cora was in my head the whole time so I never really felt like I lost control. But yea, it is a little scary, not knowing… I think it was scarier for Isaac…"

"What happened with him?" Allison asked.

"Well, long story short, he was turned first, about a week before I was. But not by Laura… by a Rogue. And he used his Alpha status to force Isaac to shift. He didn't kill anyone! Just… a deer. But Isaac had almost no memory of it at all, and we only figured it out because he'd tracked mud and leaves into his bed."

Allison's eyes widened, "An Alpha can control you?"

"I guess. Laura's never tried, but we saw it with Isaac. It… it was scary, to know that Isaac wasn't always in control, because the Alpha wanted him to do something. But, it's okay now, he's dead and we're both Laura's Betas now."

Before either of them could say anything else, Chris cleared his throat, calling everyone's attention back to him. "So, my men found Kate, she's already picked up Oliver and left town. Of course that doesn't mean we're going to drop our guard at all, we'll all still be at the Stilinski house for tonight. Kate is probably coming back with reinforcements, I know she isn't running, that isn't her style. But… we have no idea when she'll be back. I've got some men scheduled to keep an eye on the main roads into town but we'll have to stay on our toes. Since we know that she's no longer in town, I vote we head to the house now, we can finish our conversation there."

Everyone agreed, now that the immediate threat was gone, they might as well head to the house and settle in for the night. So everyone climbed back into their respective vehicles and followed the cruiser back to the house.

*Stilinski House*

Cora sighed as she climbed out of the Camaro, flashing back to the last time she'd been in the house. The Stilinskis had invited them over a few times, after that first Christmas, it was nice. It had almost been a second home to them, before they moved to Sacramento. And now, now the Stilinskis were a part of their Pack, they were more than family and it felt… right. That was the only reason she agreed to stay here, because she knew that her Wolf would feel safe in this house. She was pulled from her thoughts as Stiles walked over, talking a mile a minute.

"So, Scott and Isaac can stay in my room, we almost always do that anyways. Cora and Laura can share Scott's room, and Derek can have Isaac's- if you two don't mind sharing that is. I just don't want Derek to have to sleep on the couch unless he'd prefer to. And we've got tons of spare blankets if um… I don't know when the last time we changed sheets was so… um, you know, with Were senses, not sure if the sheets will stink…"

"Dude, we shower all the time, they won't be that stinky!" Scott said.

Stiles rolled his eyes, "You're used to the smell of our rooms dude, you're nose-blind to it all. But they'll notice it big time and they probably won't appreciate it…" They were three teenage boys after all, who knew just what their Were noses would pick up on.

Laura smiled at the boys, following them into the house, "I'm sure it will be fine. You're all Pack so it will actually be soothing to be surrounded by familiar scents."

"Yea, it's got to be a lot better than the gross motel… I haven't slept too well, it's just so nasty!" Cora complained. The boys didn't grow up in a Were household, there wasn't such a thing as privacy for them. So none of them would actually be embarrassed about the scents they'd find. And Laura was right, they were Pack so it was bound to be so much more comfortable, for her and her Wolf. "I don't mind sharing with Laura, that's what we're doing now. And we probably won't all be sleeping at the same time so it won't matter anyways."

Isaac sighed, right… they were only staying over because of the danger Kate posed… Laura wasn't likely to sleep until tomorrow. Tonight was going to be stressful…. Thankfully their dad had already called and told the school that they'd be absent tomorrow. Everyone agreed that it wouldn't be right, or safe, to send the boys to school where Chris and the others couldn't protect them. They had no idea what Kate was planning, and while it was unlikely she'd pull a stunt at the school, better to be safe. It was weird, he had known that Kate had killed Laura's family, had burned down the house but, he hadn't even thought about the danger they were in…. Not until Cora had balked at staying with them. Hearing her refuse to stay inside really made it sink in that they were in real danger… just because they weren't strictly Human anymore…. Isaac followed everyone else into the living room, listening in on how the plan for the night was going to go.

"So, I figure we have at least a few hours to spare before Kate comes back, but since we don't know for sure where she's going, or what she's bringing back… We can't waste time," Chris told them all. "Most of my men will be stationed in strategic spots, keeping an eye out for her return and I'm keeping men on both ends of the block too, just to keep track all the cars coming and going, as well as emergency backup in case something does end up happening here at the house. Victoria and I will be here the whole time, while Brandon will be at our house until it's time for his shift, just in case Kate stops there. Although, that leaves Allison…" he turned towards his daughter.

"What about me?" Allison asked, confused.

"You don't have to stay here, I can drop you off at Lydia's if you would feel safer… I know this is stressful," Victoria offered.

"No! I'm in this now, I'm not going to let Aunt Kate get away with this. You promised to teach me more and this seems like the perfect time."

Chris and Victoria looked at each other before nodding, Victoria smiling at her daughter, "If you want to stay, that's fine. We won't make you leave, but you have to be prepared to do what we tell you."

"I promise."

"Alright, so that's all of us here at the house, I hope it doesn't get too cramped…" Laura said, looking around at everyone.

John shook his head, "The boys are used to sharing space, and we're all going to take turns sleeping, we'll make it work. Although I should probably call Melissa, let her know what to expect when she gets home."

Stiles waited for his dad to head into the kitchen, making sure he was on the phone, before turning to the Argents. He couldn't hold it in any longer, he had to ask… "How exactly did Kate find out about Scott… and does that mean she knows about Isaac too?"

"I'm… not sure, she came in and when she saw that we were having a discussion and things weren't going like she planned, she revealed that she knew Scott was a Were," Chris answered.

"Probably from Sunday dinner… with the perfume…" Allison suggested.

Victoria shook her head, looking thoughtful, "No, she was certain of this… Scott managed to skirt suspicion because of his inhaler…"

"Wait.. Oh, I'm so stupid!" Stiles suddenly cursed. "You guys probably network don't you?"

"Yea, of course…"

"All she needs is a friend in dispatch… or a hacker friend… there would've been records- that Scott was the one admitted, it's logged as an animal attack which would be obvious to her… She'd just need the night in question, which she know because she was there, how many animal attacks from that area at that time of night? Just Scott." Stiles chewed on his thumbnail, cursing their oversight… "So she has to figure one of us is the other Beta, you know, since that's probably the only reason we showed up, was to find our brother. Only question now is… did she get a good enough look to tell us apart? Or is she guessing?"

Everyone turned and looked at him, amazed at his deduction… he obviously shadowed his father a lot, paid attention to how criminals behaved.

Chris sighed heavily, "You're right, I can't believe I never realized… we have contacts all over, and with Kate's ties to this town, I'm sure she kept in contact with her friends in dispatch… Dammit!"

"There's nothing we can do about that now, if she knows about the boys that just means we fight to protect them instead of hiding them," Laura told them all. Ideally, she would have liked to shield the boys from this, tell them to just get out of town for a few days while they took care of things. But if Kate was certain about Scott, it would only be more dangerous to send them away. At least here, Laura could keep an eye out, make sure they stayed safe.

"Well, at least that mystery is solved…" Scott mumbled. He'd been afraid that maybe he'd given himself away Sunday and that Kate had decided not to make a scene… But it wasn't his fault she found out about him or Isaac, it was unforeseeable.

"Um, speaking of mysteries… I'm wondering if maybe now would be a good time to fill me in on all of this a little more?" Allison asked. Her dad said they had some time to kill before Kate came back… Maybe telling her more about Werewolves, the tension in the room would fade, take their mind off of the danger… Maybe.

"Yea, that's-" Isaac started to say, before his phone went off. He dug into his pocket and checked the text, his stomach dropping. "Um, hate to be the bearer of more bad news but… um…" Instead of trying to explain, he just held his phone out for the others to see.

_Hey! So Mom and Dad don't think I'm totally crazy (yet) and agreed to meet with Laura tomorrow after school! I'm so excited!_

"Of course…" Victoria mumbled, already having forgotten about that. She knew that Erica would be excited and would have set up the meeting as soon as possible to convince her parents. But right now… with Kate…

"You'll have to tell her something came up," Laura started to say.

"No…don't tell her that just yet," Chris mumbled, tapping his chin. Everyone turned to stare at him and he hastened to clarify his reasoning. "I know that Erica's parents are probably already feeling hesitant about all of this and I want Erica to have a fighting chance of convincing them."

"You want us to just…omit the situation?" Victoria asked. That didn't sound like Chris at all…

"No, I didn't say that. You know me better than that. If we can at least resolve this situation before the meeting… then maybe her parents won't immediately be dissuaded. They deserve to know the truth, that this is dangerous, but most Hunters are at least a little more honorable than my sister. Erica will have a good Alpha, we know that, she won't be getting into trouble so she won't even be on their radar. Let's just wait until tomorrow, I know Kate isn't going to wait long before acting."

Laura nodded, "I can agree to that, maybe Kate will do something stupid and we'll have this resolved before it's even time for the meeting. We'll still tell her about it of course, but it won't be an immediate issue, since we'll have taken care of it."

"Yea, I like that idea," Stiles agreed. He'd been worried they'd postpone- which of course, obviously he didn't want Erica to hear about this and get scared but… he also figured, if they postponed the meeting, her parents might decide that Erica was pulling their leg and call off the meeting all together. Settling all of this ASAP was the best thing for everyone, so that was what Stiles would focus on.

Isaac nodded and replied to Erica, letting her know that, for now, it was a green light.

"So, Erica might become a Were too?" Allison asked. Wow, she was new to all of this and already her small circle of friends was starting to include more supernatural aware people than not. Should she ask Lydia if she knew anything about this? It was unlikely… and she didn't want Lydia to not be her friend anymore, maybe she shouldn't ask.

"Yea… her Epilepsy is worrisome… and since she's underage, Laura needs her parents' consent for the Bite. If she gets the Bite, she'll be cured, but that means she'll become a part of this new world," Stiles told her.

"So we still won't be the only beginners," Scott called out.

Allison and the boys laughed before all piling onto the couch, John coming back into the room as well.

"So Melissa is worried but I think I did okay at explaining everything, that we're on top of it. While we're waiting though, I guess you could explain some stuff to the boys, and Allison. I can do my best to enlighten Melissa when she gets home."

"Well, we're in for a long night, if she has her own individual questions, Chris and I will be up to answer them."

John nodded, "That's true."

"So, um… where do we start?" Laura asked, looking at the Argents.

"Well, Allison only really knows the basics, I kinda explained Anchors to her, to let her know that Scott wasn't inherently dangerous. And I explained the shifting, although she doesn't really know what it looks like, I didn't have any pictures handy," Victoria explained.

"Does she know about eye colors?"

"All I know is that Scott's are supposed to be amber," Allison supplied, remembering what her mom had said in the car. "I'm not really sure what that means? And earlier… Derek had red eyes?"

"We can start there, it's easy enough to explain, and important for you. Alphas have red eyes, meaning they are the strongest," Laura explained, flashing her eyes as well. "So it has nothing to do with anger, since Derek was upset earlier. He's just an Alpha like me. Most Betas, the average Were that's a part of a Pack has amber eyes." She paused as Cora and Scott flashed their eyes at Allison.

"I'm assuming since you said most, that there are other colors as well?"

"Yes. No one in the Pack has them right now although I have pictures on my phone. They are just as important for you to know. So, red means Alpha and if you don't know them personally, it would be best for you to run. Most Alphas don't like Hunters and won't stop to ask your name. Amber eyed Weres are a little safer, it means they have a Pack so they're stable and most likely wouldn't attack a Hunter blindly, in a one-on-one fight, it's likely they'll lose to even a moderately experienced Hunter. There are also Weres that have green eyes, like Isaac a few nights ago." Laura looked through her phone before pulling up an old image of an Omega.

"And is green good or bad?" Allison asked, looking at the eyes.

"All in all, it means they are the least dangerous. Green-eyed Weres are Omegas, Wolves that are all alone. I'm not sure if your mom covered it but, Weres are stronger in Packs. Like, not just as in 'strength in numbers' we feed off each other's presence and our inner Wolves get stronger when there are more of us in a Pack."

"So a Were with green eyes is literally all alone and only has their own strength to depend on?"

"Correct. Although… depending on the Were, if they are truly alone, they roam from place to place without anyone else to keep them centered, they can go Rogue, become more Wolf than Human. They are dangerous, although you can usually tell immediately," Laura explained.

"They are very erratic and dangerous, they're almost always partially shifted and hide in the shadows," Victoria added on.

Allison nodded slowly, handing the phone back, "So, generally speaking a Were with green eyes is the least threatening to me but they are also more likely to become a Rogue, which is super dangerous. Since that would mean they are more likely to just attack without thinking. At least signs of being a Rogue are obvious. And red eyes I should run from because that means they are an Alpha and the strongest."

"There's one more color, one that…on general principle you should also run from. There are exceptions of course but…" Laura looked at Derek out of the corner of her eye. She had a few sample pictures of blue-eyed Weres, so she didn't have to explain Derek's situation, now that he was an Alpha.

"We can tell her, I'm sure Chris and Victoria want to be open with Allison, it's best she understand the truth," Derek mumbled.

"Allison, you can't tell anyone… do you think you'd be able to keep this an absolute secret?" Chris asked.

"Like, even more secret than the fact that Werewolves exist?"

Victoria nodded, "Yes, not even your aunt knows the truth… It would put Derek's life in danger, even more than it already is."

Allison paled and looked at Derek, his circumstances were even worse than what she'd already heard? "I won't tell."

Laura passed her the phone, a picture of Derek with his blue eyes up. "Blue-eyed Weres are generally Weres you should run from. Because of our abilities… Weres evolved a way of bringing out the monsters from hiding. When a Were takes the life of an innocent, their eyes turn blue."

"Yea, and Derek told me that the blue color overrides regular Beta and Omega status. That only the red of an Alpha is stronger," Isaac tacked on, remembering when Derek explained this too him.

"That's right. Knowing if someone is a killer is more important than whether they have a Pack or not in our world. Like I said, there are some circumstances when you can trust a Wolf that has blue eyes…"

"A mercy killing?" Allison guessed quietly. Judging by the wording Laura used, defending yourself kinda seemed like an acceptable circumstance, that surely if every Were that had ever been confronted by a dangerous Hunter and had been forced to kill them earned blue eyes, they wouldn't be so rare, they wouldn't be warning her so seriously about it. Self defense wasn't illegal in the Human world, it made sense that the same rules applied in the supernatural world as well. And as scary as Derek was, Allison knew that her parents trusted him; couple that with the fact that the truth about his blue eyes would put him in danger… If word got out that he killed an innocent, of course more Hunters would be after him, by the code, even her dad would have to hunt him down…

Derek nodded, "I was 16… and my girlfriend was dying, in pain… I couldn't stand to see her like that… she begged me…"

"But she was innocent, the rules still applied," Laura whispered.

"Talia, their mother, explained the situation to us, knew that we'd understand and not hold it against Derek. But we're the only ones that know, everyone else thinks that he killed a faery creature," Chris explained.

"So, eye color isn't tied to just Humans, it counts towards any innocent supernatural creature?"

"Correct, but our code is only for Humans. We have no domain over other types of creatures, that's between their own clans. As Humans, we only protect Human life. Because we told everyone that he hadn't killed a Human, he was given a pass by the Hunters," Chris said.

"But… I mean… if you were 100% certain that she was going to die, and she was in pain… surely other Hunters would understand…"

"It was a risk Mom didn't want to take, especially not with Kate around. This was before the fire but even back then we didn't really trust her, we could sense her hate of our kind. She'd use any excuse to hunt us all down. I was barely a teen and I could tell," Cora told them.

Allison nodded, "I get that, most Hunters probably wouldn't understand, I can see why you'd keep it a secret. Although… why did they believe you? I feel like any experienced Hunter would have wanted some sort of proof?"

"Well Derek hid his eyes for as long as he could. Only, Mom, your parents, and I knew about the truth. Cora only just recently found out herself. So, we waited, until a rogue faery came into town, destroying the plants as a means of absorbing their life force. So we told everyone that Derek killed the wrong faery. Faeries disappear when they die so we didn't have to provide a body as proof, and there was evidence of faeries in the area, it was believable that he would have run into one. But really, the reason no one questioned it was because my mom was… revered, by all sorts of creatures. She was a leader of our people, powerful and kind. The Hale name meant something to people, Hunters wouldn't question her. They were told that we had handled the situation with the faery clan and they had no reason to intervene, and no suspicious Human deaths in the past few days of the reveal helped clear Derek's name."

"Wow… all of this sounds really complicated… but… I'm glad that you trusted my parents with the truth. And me, I know you have no real reason to trust me, I'm new to all of this. Anyone that knew you before would have already heard the lie, and anyone that meets you now… you have red eyes, I can say that I only met you after your eyes turned red." Already, she knew that she was going to be open-minded about all of this; she wasn't going to be the cold hearted Hunter like her aunt. Allison started to pass the phone back before Isaac reached over to look at it.

"Hey, wait… what happened to the flare? Stiles took a picture of me and my eyes were hella bright, it totally washed out the picture…" Isaac asked as he looked at the picture. His eyes hadn't even been glowing when Stiles had taken that picture of him. He hadn't thought about it with the first picture, but it kinda hit him, that Derek was in a picture and there wasn't any flaring at all.

"The eye flare can be controlled, same as how you can learn to mask your scent with practice. Derek has used this to his advantage for years… he learned to control it at a young age, Mom made sure of it because she loved to get family portraits done. But Der was always difficult and didn't subdue it. This is about the only picture we have of Derek," she laughed as she took her phone back

"You boys better learn how to do that before next year's school photos, otherwise your mom will be pissed," John commented.

"Aw, does that mean I can't take pictures with Allison?" Scott asked, looking down at his hands as realized how stupid that sounded. Here they were, lives on the line, and he was worried about pictures…

"Naw, you'll just have to have your eyes closed Bro, no biggie," Stiles laughed. "At least until you guys learn how to turn it off."

Allison smiled as well, "We'll figure it out I'm sure. So… I know about eye color now, and Mom told me about shifting and stuff. Um…what else could you tell me about while we're waiting?"

"Oh, um, how about… um… Cora mentioned something about Pack bonds, and how she was like… in my head?" Scott asked. "She really helped me out in when I went bowling and I didn't even think to ask too many questions afterwards…"

"Yea, that's what happened when Laura asked me to be in the Pack," Isaac commented.

"Man, I'm missing out on all sorts of cool things…"

Isaac smiled at Stiles, "Yea, but you know ASL and can talk to Ran without anyone else understanding you."

"So not the same though! Anyone could learn ASL, not everyone can learn to just be in your head and talking to you," Stiles pouted.

"Yea, we can discuss that," Laura nodded. As everyone leaned in closer, Laura began to explain how Pack bonds worked, that Wolves in a pack had a special bond with each other. "It stems from the same way that we're all stronger when we're Pack, that connection allows us to communicate with each other too." She went on to explain how listening to a Packmate was easier than talking to one, if you didn't really know how to communicate with your Wolf. She relaxed as all the teenagers leaned forward, intrigued by the lesson; it was nice to finally be a mentor, to really step into her mother's role as the Hale Alpha. She'd turned other people before, but they were never really her Betas, as soon as they had control, they left her Pack to join their loved ones. Laura never held it against them of course, but Isaac, Stiles, and Scott… they were a part of her Pack now and it was soothing. Now she was actually teaching them, even Allison too in a way, about their world.

Before they knew it, Melissa had come home, bringing bags of Chinese food with her, knowing that she wouldn't have enough time to cook for everyone at such short notice. John filled her in on a lot of the important stuff, making sure that she knew the boys were going to be fine. The Argents coordinated with their men, setting up the schedule for the next 12 hours, knowing it was going to be a long night. Then Melissa was herding the three boys upstairs, telling them they needed to rest.

"But Mom…it's not even 10 yet…we normally stay up way later than this," Stiles complained.

"And normally you aren't being hunted down by a crazy lady, no offense Chris," Melissa shot back, looking over her shoulder belatedly.

Chris nodded his head, if he were in her shoes, he'd probably say something worse about Kate. He wouldn't judge her for her comment when she was worried about her sons.

"Besides, we have no idea when she might come back, so you better rest while you can," John said.

The boys all nodded at that, he was right after all… if she suddenly showed up at 3 in the morning, they wouldn't be much use to anyone if they only went to bed at 1. Still, it was going to be hard to fall asleep, Stiles's mind was absolutely racing, and he was certain Scott's and Isaac's were too. But at least they'd all be together. They went upstairs and changed, Scott heading back down the hall to give Allison some of his sweats to wear, she'd be sleeping in their parents' bed for at least a few hours.

"Do you think we'll really get this all solved by tomorrow?" Isaac asked as they all curled up together.

"I hope so… I mean, that's kinda scary, that potentially she'll be back in a few hours and then who knows what's going to happen… Is it bad that I just kinda wish she doesn't come back?" Scott asked.

"Yea, because then we'll be totally stressed about it for days until she does come back. The sooner we get this over with the better. With Laura, Derek, and the Argents on our side, I'm sure Kate won't be a big problem," Stiles comforted. Well, he hoped at least… She did almost kill all of the Hales in a fire, that had to have taken cunning… to trap them all. But that wouldn't happen this time, it wouldn't!

Amazingly, it didn't take long for the boys to feel sleepy, the stress of the last few hours sapping them of energy. Scott and Isaac were both curled protectively around Stiles, inner Wolves just under the surface of their awareness, listening for danger as they waited to completely fall asleep.

Downstairs Laura sighed to herself; she could sense their awareness and wished she could comfort them. But she knew if she tried to communicate with them, the boys would probably wake up more instead of relax. It wasn't like they knew how to subdue their Wolves yet, especially in such a stressful situation where their lives were in danger. If she didn't bring attention to it, hopefully they'd still be able to get some sleep, even if a part of their minds stayed awake. They might be tired tomorrow but… they would get some sleep at least. It took awhile to master the duality going on in their heads, knowing when to listen to the Wolf and when to force it into a deeper sleep. Hell, Derek still left his Wolf always awake under the surface, like he was too afraid to ever really let himself fall into a deep sleep. She didn't know how he hadn't collapsed from exhaustion after all these years. "Cora, Derek, I think you two should get some rest too, like Chris said, we probably have a few hours of quiet before anything happens. I want you two rested."

Cora nodded, thinking the same thing, "I don't want to be caught off guard if something happens in the wee hours of the morning." The only reason she was comfortable at all with going upstairs was because she'd heard Chris, Victoria, and John go over the plan so many times. She knew they were taking this seriously, and they had men around to help watch the house. Like John said earlier, they lived in the middle of the block, with neighbors, Kate would have to be stupid to try something. Besides… John, Melissa, Stiles, they were Human, they could break a line of ash easily and everyone could escape. There was no basement here to trap everyone in beforehand with fire. Cora could sleep here, it was okay. So she followed Derek upstairs, mumbling a quick goodnight as she went into Scott's room.

Derek shuffled off into Isaac's room, the one at the end of the hallway. He'd appease Laura by lying down but he knew that he wouldn't sleep. That was always the one thing he couldn't do whenever he got stressed out. His Wolf would go on high alert, keep his mind racing, listening, scenting the air. Always on the lookout for danger. It was rare that he ever felt safe enough to sleep, usually only getting decent sleep when Laura and Cora were making noise in the apartment, so he knew they were both okay. If they left, he'd instantly wake up, the silence unnerving… Derek knew that Chris and Victoria would try to stay as quiet as possible, not wanting to keep the boys up with their enhanced hearing… but that meant there was less noise to distract Derek's mind. If he wasn't so worried about Kate killing them all, maybe he'd have Laura order him to pass out, that might be nice. Not that she'd ever do it, she hated influencing anyone, said it was too easy to start abusing her powers that way. He sighed to himself and curled into a ball on the bed, telling himself that he could do this, that he was strong enough.

Cora flopped down onto Scott's bed, inhaling his scent and relaxing more than she had in the last 24 hours. It reeked of teenage boy and all the scents tied to that, but this time it was comforting because it was Pack. The unknown, gross smells from the motel had definitely not been welcome. She rubbed her cheek against the pillow, distracting herself from the stress. As she got under the covers, Cora had to wonder how Derek was holding up… He'd been closed off after dinner. Surely only she and Laura had noticed it, everyone else was paying attention to the Were lessons going on. But Derek… he had to be feeling awful, knowing that Kate was here and was pretty much repeating the same thing as before. At least this time, they weren't alone. Cora chewed on her lip, debating on if she should try to talk to him… she didn't want to use the Pack bond to butt into his head, after all these years with him, she knew it wouldn't be welcome. But she also didn't want him to be alone right now, surrounded by thoughts of Kate. Then, almost as if he knew she was thinking about him, she felt her bond with Derek open, surprisingly he reached out to her first.

 _Are you going to be able to sleep?_  
I'm not really sure… You?  
I doubt it.

Cora could sense that Derek was feeling lonely but that he wasn't really sure how to admit it, wasn't used to being vulnerable, not even around his sisters. He'd spent so many years trying to hide it, keeping that part of himself closed off for years. Honestly she was slightly ashamed that she was only now truly picking up on it, had been willing to not let Derek pretend everything was okay. Laura must have known from the start, had probably tried countless ways to get him to open up… Now it was Cora's turn to try.

 _You could come keep me company… Scott's bed has plenty of room..._  
You sure?  
Yea, it'll be easier to fall asleep if I'm not alone. I mean, I know there are other people in the house but, we've all been sleeping in the same motel room the past few nights, it's weird having the bed to myself.

Derek let out a breath, recognizing that his sister was offering him an excuse, something where neither of them needed to acknowledge the truth. He grabbed Isaac's pillow and went to Scott's room, lying down beside his sister.

"We'll be okay Derek," Cora whispered, curling up against his chest.

"Yea," he answered, knowing that both of them needed to hear it.

In the next room, all three boys were still huddled together. Despite the fact that they were all in danger, Stiles actually felt bad for Allison, he could see that this was taking a toll on her. He imagined that it wasn't easy at all to be faced with the truth that a family member was a killer. Or that, you know, Werewolves are real, that's pretty shocking too, and all at the same time. But at least they did get to talk about some stuff, answer questions. Tomorrow was… Stiles didn't even want to think about tomorrow.

"Stiles, if you don't stop fidgeting then none of us are going to get sleep," Scott murmured.

Stiles froze, unaware that he'd even been moving, "Sorry."

"We can get the melatonin, that might help," Isaac offered, voice already sleepy.

"How… how are you two already half-asleep? Like, aren't you scared?"

Scott shrugged and nuzzled Stiles, "I'm safe with my family right now and my Alpha is right downstairs. I mean sure, a part of me is worried, but most of me is just comfortable. We won't be worth much in a fight if we don't get sleep."

"True… I'll, I'll try to stop moving so much, I'm just… thinking." Stiles shifted one last time to get comfortable and then tried to clear his mind. He listened to his brothers' breathing, chagrinned at how easy it was for them to sleep right now. He figured their Wolf-y halves would be really keyed up right now, and that they'd be just as fidgety as him. Although, Scott had a good point, Laura was right downstairs, and they trusted her completely. But when he looked over at Isaac's half open eyes, he saw that they were dimly glowing. Well… maybe their Wolves were keyed up, just a bit, it just wasn't overpowering their Human halves that were sleepy? He'd have to try to remember to ask Laura about that… in the morning… Slowly Stiles closed his eyes, body relaxing.


End file.
